2014 Reader Recipe Contest Grand Prize Winner and Winner of the Go Local Fare Category
Submitted by Michael White of Lexington
Ingredients:
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 10-ounce package cooked center-cut country ham
2 tablespoons fat from ham (rendered)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup Sheltowee Farm shiitake mushrooms
1 pound asparagus tips
1 red pepper, julienned
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2⁄3 cup orange juice
1⁄3 cup maple syrup
1⁄3 cup Woodford Reserve bourbon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Cheesy Grits
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1⁄2 cup Weisenberger Mill grits
1⁄2 cup butter, cut into bits
1⁄2 cup Kenny’s Farmhouse sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut cherry tomatoes in half and season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme. Place tomatoes on parchment paper on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes.
- Trim some fat from the country ham and render over medium heat in a cast-iron skillet. Add ham and cook until golden brown on both sides, 5-7 minutes. Remove and keep warm.
- In the same skillet scrape up any remnants of the ham and keep it in the pan, add the olive oil and sauté the mushrooms and other veggies—seasoned with salt, pepper and fresh thyme—for about 10 minutes.
- In a small saucepan combine the orange juice, maple syrup, bourbon, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, soy sauce and cayenne pepper and bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally.
Cheesy Grits
- In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and heavy cream to a boil, reduce heat and slowly whisk in grits. Cook for 7-10 minutes and remove from heat.
- Add butter, cheddar cheese and generous amounts of salt and pepper.
- Plate the grits with veggies on top. Plate the ham and drizzle all with maple bourbon glaze.