Grits with Braised Spring Onions and Fried Garlic

As a vegetable, onions are often overlooked.  It's my favorite vegetable - red, white, shallots, spring onions - I like them roasted and braised so they're all soft and sweet; I like them raw, thinly sliced, so they're crunchy and spicy.  And it's got to be one of the cheapest vegetables to get. 

I also love garlic.  That's got to be the biggest plus of being single - I can shamelessly have all the garlic I want.  I love roasted garlic smeared on some toasted sourdough with a healthy drizzle of olive oil and flaked sea salt. Mmmmm.

Braised spring onions and fried garlic on top of grits with olive oil and coriander mmmmm.   You know, I've been dying to go to New Orleans to have proper Southern food.  I just finished watching Chef and -- ok, it wasn't a great movie.  If you're not interested in food, you won't like it, it's just two hours of food porn. But oh, all the slow-roasts and ribs and po' boys.  I need to go.  It's like a gastronomic adventure that would open my eyes to a whole new world.  If I had all the money and time in the world I'd love to do a culinary research trip around the world - working in different hole in the wall restaurants and street food stalls to pick up their tricks.  Has there been a documentary like this?  Can I get BBC to sponsor this trip? A witty foodie traveling and cooking and eating?

Serves 1
Ingredients
1 cup milk
1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup medium-ground grits/polenta (not quick-cooking)
1 garlic clove
4 sprigs spring onion
handful of coriander leaves
extra virgin olive oil

Method
Chop the white ends of the spring onion and finely slice the white bit, reserve.  

Finely slice the garlic.

Add a few tbsp of olive oil in a pan and fry the garlic until crispy, reserve.  In the same pan add the whole spring onions and fry until slightly golden, then turn the heat down, add a bit of water, put a lid on and leave to cook until tender - about 10 minutes.

For the grits -
Bring the milk and the stock to a boil in a pot.  Reduce the heat and whisk in the grits. Cook, whisking frequently, until the grits become creamy - about thirty minutes.  Add more stock if necessary.  Stir in a few tbsp of olive oil - to taste. Season and serve with braised spring onions, fried garlic, chopped spring onion ends, coriander leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.