Southern-Style Birds in a Nest with Butter Grits, Greens with Bacon, Over-Easy Quail Eggs and Green Tomato and Green Apple Chutney
- Level: Advanced
- Yield: 4 servings
- Total: 2 hr 15 min
- Active: 55 min
Ingredients
Green Tomato and Green Apple Chutney:
1/2 pound firm green tomatoes (about 1 large), cored and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch dice
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon madras curry powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon fennel pollen
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
1/2 green apple, grated
1/2 red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
Chicken stock, as needed
Southern Greens and Bacon:
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 thick slices bacon (about 1/4 pound), cut into 1/4-inch batons
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 shallot, minced
1 bunch red chard, leaves stripped (stems saved for another use)
1 bunch beet greens, leaves stripped (stems saved for another use)
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Pinch nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Hot sauce, such as Frank's RedHot
Butter Grits:
4 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
Salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup stone-ground grits
1 cup whole milk
12 quail eggs, cooked over easy
Directions
- For the chutney: Combine the green tomatoes, brown sugar, cider vinegar, curry powder, mustard seeds, fennel pollen, allspice, ginger, apple and red onion in a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Taste and thin with chicken stock as desired. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
- For the greens and bacon: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp; remove to a paper-towel-lined plate. Lower the heat to medium, add the garlic and shallot, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the chard and beet greens and let wilt for a few minutes. Deglaze the pan with vinegar, then add the sugar, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, and a dash of hot sauce. Add some of the bacon back to the pan, and combine. Use the remaining bacon as garnish.
- For the butter grits: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a boil. Add the grits and bring to a simmer. Stir, then partially cover, and cook, whisking occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- Add in 1/2 cup milk, whisk and partially cover. Cook, whisking occasionally, for another 15 minutes.
- Add in the remaining 1/2 cup milk and cook partially covered, whisking occasionally, another 15 minutes.
- Add the remaining tablespoon butter and season to taste with salt. Use additional stock to adjust the consistency as needed. Serve the grits with the quail eggs.