Corn and Goat Cheese Grits

• Recipe by Bobby Flay

"I decided to citify low-country cuisine by adding lots of chopped garlic and fresh goat cheese," says Flay of these hearty yet elegant grits. The end result is a tangy, creamy, corn-flecked side dish.

Ingredients

1. 4 cups water
2. 1/2 cup whole milk
3. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4. Kosher salt
5. 1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
6. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
7. 1 large Spanish onion, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
8. 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
9. 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears) or one 10-ounce package frozen corn kernels
10. Freshly ground pepper
11. 4 ounces fresh goat cheese

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter and 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal. Cook the grits over moderate heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until thickened and the grains are tender, about 40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the corn mixture to a food processor or blender and puree until the mixture is just smooth.
3. Stir the pureed corn and the goat cheese into the grits, season with salt and pepper and cook just until heated through. Transfer to a bowl and serve.