SALTED CARAMEL RICE GRITS POTS DE CRÈME

It's all from the South here, from the Louisiana sugar to the Water Valley, Mississippi cream to the Sumner, Mississippi grits. The caramel’s creamy, velvety texture is the champagne, and the grits are suspended like bubbles. Cheers!

INGREDIENTS

 ¾ cup white sugar

½ cup water

2 cups heavy cream

¾ cup cooked Original Mississippi Middliins Rice Grits

½ tsp vanilla extract

6 egg yolks

Flaky sea salt, for garnish

METHOD

     Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
In medium, thick bottomed saucepan, blend the sugar and the water until sugar dissolves. Heat to medium to surely dissolve sugar, then bring to boil. Don’t stir, don’t touch. Continue to boil and evaporate water out, vigilant not to burn. After 10 to 15 minutes, melted sugar will become thicker and change from clear to begin take on a brown hue. Then in rapid fashion it will turn become bubbly, darker, and thicker. Bring to a medium brown for fullest flavor, taking great care not to burn the sugar (the thick bottom pot will harbor heat and will now cook even off the burner).
When at the preferred color and flavor, slowly add cream while whisking it in. Continue to stir with whisk over low heat to melt clumps. Remove from heat
Add vanilla extract and whisk in, then slowly add beaten egg yolks and rapidly blend in.
Divide between small ramekins or other oven proof bowls. Place ramekins in an ovenproof pan large enough to hold them all, and fill with warm water up to the halfway point on ramekin. Bake in oven for about 30 minutes, or until edges set, but still slightly shaky in the centers. Remove from oven to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cool.
Garnish with a desired quantity of sea salt.