Cheddar and Goat Cheese Popcorn Grits

Prep. Time:
10 mins
Baking Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
30 mins
Serves:
Serves 2 hungry people or 4 as a side
In episode 10 of Season 22 of Top Chef ™, we saw Cesar win the quickfire challenge with this dish. The challenge was to use food from a depanneur (bodega ... mini-mart) to create a tasty dish and this is an elevated but delicious representation of the art.
Who knew that popcorn cooks down into grits?
Ingredients
Instructions
In a heavy bottomed pan, melt the butter with the oil and fry the diced and sliced bacon until seared. Remove the strips and rest them on kitchen paper but leave the diced bacon in the pan.
Quickly saute the broccoli and then set it aside.
Into the pan with the bacon, add the popcorn, cream, parmesan, salt and pepper. Keep the heat as low as it will go to avoid curdling. Leave, stirring occasionally, for 15 - 20 minutes. If the popcorn kernels are still while, then use a fork or a potato masher to squash them.
Stir in the mozzarella. Taste and season.
Serve in a bowl, topped with a small salad of diced apple with the strips of bacon and some celery leaves.



