Experiment Recipe #1- HOMINY CROQUETTES

My plan was to begin this project with what [I thought] looked like a pretty simple recipe. My plan marginally backfired. As seemingly basic as it read, this recipe was just that, albeit a little time consuming. It was my own fault for not reading the recipe all the way through. Things like "bake for 1 hour" are pretty important factors to consider if you'd like to have your weeknight meal before 9:00 pm. Oops- my bad. And not knowing what to serve with it, it just so happened we had chicken tacos in mind for dinner this evening anyway, so this was a welcome change from the Spanish rice which I typically have along with my tacos.

That being said, the time and effort was worth it. I know I'll make this again, my husband quite enjoyed it. It makes a lot, and as I was pouring the batter into my casserole dish I thought it would have been best that I halved the recipe! Incidentally, the leftovers are great warmed through the next morning and served with fried eggs.

I guess that's what I like about "experiment" cooking- you learn from your mistakes!

Here are a couple pointers if you decide to make Hominy Croquettes:

This recipe is not for little, individual cakes, as I assumed by the mentioning of "croquettes." (I likened it to salmon croquettes.) The recipe calls for instant grits, which made the recipe a little confusing because I had quick-cooking grits. I can't say specifically that I used the right amount, since the way instant and quick-cooking grits are prepared varies. I do think I prepared to much, so I didn't use all the grits I cooked.

Speaking of GRITS- make them ahead if at all possible. Because you're working with raw eggs in this recipe, combining hot prepared grits and eggs will cause the eggs to be scrambled. I had to let my grits cool for a good 20 minutes or so in the fridge, which again ate into my prep time. Also, I had to carefully temper the eggs as the grits were still warm, which takes a little time and finesse. (Both of which I lack considerably.) SO much easier to do if your grits are prepared sufficiently in advance and already cooled. My egg whites had already been whipped while I waited for the grits to cool, and I think they may have deflated a little in the interim. This led to a "not so puffy" final result, which was disappointing. And, since I have an unhealthy addiction to cheese, I decided to make this recipe using the addition of Cheddar as the post-recipe variation suggests.

Besides accidentally dumping all my melted butter on the counter top and saturating the upper edge of my precious cookbook, the process went relatively smoothly.

I intend on taking pictures of my experiments as well, but we dug into the dish before I could get a shot of it "whole." Here's my result in an individual serving, garnished with cilantro for fun.
1 1/4 cups instant grits
1 1/2 cups water
1 3/4 cups canned hominy, drained (one 14.5 oz. can is just enough; I used white hominy)
3 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk ( I used about 1 3/4 cups- 2 was just too much)
Preheat oven to 350.

Cook instant grits in water over medium heat in covered saucepan for about 4 minutes. Chop hominy in food processor. In large bowl, lightly beat egg yolks with a fork. In separate bowl, whip egg whites until they form soft peaks. Mix (cooled) grits, hominy, butter, sugar, salt, and beaten egg eggs yolks together until well blended. Gradually add milk and mix until smooth. Fold in beaten egg whites. Pour into buttered (I just sprayed mine with cooking spray) 2 to 2 1/2-quart casserole dish. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. Yield 6 servings.

VARIATIONS:

Add 1 cup of grated Cheddar cheese to mixture before baking.

Add 2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to mixture before adding egg whites. Serve with poached fruit.