flipWhite Corn Mush (Hominy Mush) for a Weak Stomach
White Corn Mush (Hominy Mush) for a Weak Stomach
Why this dish? Jackson suffered from chronic pain and digestive issues that forced him to follow a light diet. Corn mush, mild and easy to digest, was the food of convalescents and the sick throughout the South.
A creamy mush of white corn slowly cooked in water or milk, smooth and comforting. Warm and lightly salted, it soothed sick stomachs. This is "grits" in its original form, the healing food of the South.
My body is nothing but a battlefield: the bullets I still carry gnaw at me, and my stomach often betrays me. On days of suffering, I set aside pork and whiskey and content myself with a mush of white corn, mild and warm, such as they give to the sick and children. Do not think a general disdains such humility — it is what kept me alive to serve my country to the end. The simplest dish is sometimes the best remedy.
- •White corn grits (hominy) — a handful (base)
- •Water — plenty (cooking)
- •Milk — a splash (sweetness)
- •Butter — a knob (binder)
- •Salt — a pinch (light seasoning)
White Corn Mush (Hominy Mush) for a Weak Stomach
A creamy mush of white corn slowly cooked in water or milk, smooth and comforting. Warm and lightly salted, it soothed sick stomachs. This is "grits" in its original form, the healing food of the South.
Why this dish? Jackson suffered from chronic pain and digestive issues that forced him to follow a light diet. Corn mush, mild and easy to digest, was the food of convalescents and the sick throughout the South.
My body is nothing but a battlefield: the bullets I still carry gnaw at me, and my stomach often betrays me. On days of suffering, I set aside pork and whiskey and content myself with a mush of white corn, mild and warm, such as they give to the sick and children. Do not think a general disdains such humility — it is what kept me alive to serve my country to the end. The simplest dish is sometimes the best remedy.
Ingredients (period version)
- White corn grits (hominy) — a handful (base)
- Water — plenty (cooking)
- Milk — a splash (sweetness)
- Butter — a knob (binder)
- Salt — a pinch (light seasoning)
Ingredients
- Grits or white polenta — 60 g (base)
- Water — 500 ml (cooking)
- Milk — 100 ml (sweetness)
- Butter — 1 knob (binder)
- Salt — a discreet pinch (light seasoning)
Method
- Bring lightly salted water to a boil.
- Rain in the grits while whisking to prevent lumps.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 min, stirring often, until creamy.
- Add milk and butter at the end to soften.
- Serve warm, lightly seasoned — the goal is mildness and digestibility.
- For a sick person, thin with more milk for a runnier porridge.
How it was made : Hominy is corn treated with ash or lime (nixtamalization, a Native American technique) then ground. Cooked slowly into a mush, it gave a mild, nourishing dish prescribed to the sick and convalescent. This preparation, inherited from indigenous peoples, became the indispensable "grits" of the Southern breakfast.
The contemporary twist : Sweet version: finish the mush with a drizzle of honey and nutmeg for a comforting Southern porridge; or a savory version with a little crumbled country ham when the stomach is better.
Andrew Jackson · Charactorium
