Best Recipe for Southern-Style Birds in a Nest with Butter Grits, Greens with Bacon, Over-Easy Quail Eggs and Green Tomato and Green Apple Chutney
Ingredients
- 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
- 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
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
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