Grits and Greens Soufflé

How did these souffléd grits and greens come about? To make a pot of collard greens, I rip the ribs from the center of the leathery leaves, then stack them like dollar bills, roll them like cigars and slice through them like an onion. I stuff them into a deep pot, listening to them crackle and sizzle when they touch the hot bottom, and in a moment, watch them shrink to moss, leaving me room to pile more greens into the pot. In goes the seared ham hock or turkey leg (when I used to cook with them) and always vinegar and a big pinch of sugar to round out the bitterness. It’s a habit that we make too much, so there’s still the pot sitting on the stove when breakfast comes and we can serve it up alongside creamy cheese grits and freshly fried fluffy eggs. The saucy greens slurp up well when mixed into the grainy grits.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘Black Girl Baking’ by Jerrelle Guy. Buy the full book on Amazon.