‘Cooking with Friends’: Ainsley Earhardt shares grilled flounder recipe and her 'mama's grits'

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Ainsley Earhardt shares her recipe from Carley Shimkus' cookbook

‘FOX & Friends’ hosts discuss Carley Shimkus’ cookbook recipes ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday

"Fox & Friends" co-host Ainsley Earhardt showed off her cooking skills on Tuesday, Nov. 21, making a grilled flounder and her "mama's grits" alongside sliced tomatoes. 

"Today, we're sharing one of my favorite recipes," said Earhardt. 

The recipe appears in "Cooking with Friends: Eat, Drink & Be Merry," a new cookbook by "Fox & Friends First" co-host Carley Shimkus. 

The book features recipes enjoyed by Fox News personalities when they're at home with their families. 

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Earhardt said the dish is "something we make in South Carolina." 

"I don't know if you're a fish person, but if you're going to make a fish dish, this is very easy and it's fun," she said. 

Carley Shimkus (second from right) talked about "Cooking with Friends," her new cookbook, on "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday, Nov. 21. Ainsley Earhardt (second from left) made a flounder dish.  (Fox News)

A key step, said Earhardt, is to cook the flounder on a piece of foil so it does not stick to the grill.

She seasons her flounder with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper before grilling it for about 10 to 15 minutes, said Earhardt. 

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Alternatively, the fish can be cooked in the oven.

"A lot of southerners love to fry it, too," she said. 

The grilled flounder is then served alongside grits, a special dish for Earhardt. 

Cooking the fish in foil reduces mess and ensures that the fish will not stick to the grill, said co-host Ainsley Earhardt of "Fox & Friends." (Fox News)

"My mom's grits were the best," she said. "She would cook them for hours and hours and hours, she never did anything instant — everything was homemade. She took pride in that." 

Grits, said Earhardt, are "kind of like cream of wheat."

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She added of the dish, "It's really good. It's made of corn, you can put cheese in it — American cheese," she said. 

Earhardt said her mother always cooked grits from scratch, and that it took "hours and hours." (Fox News)

After adding "a lot of butter" to the grits, Earhardt stressed the importance of adding "real cream" to the dish.

"My mom said to use real cream," she said. "You need real cream." 

Earhardt suggested eating the grits directly with the fish, saying, "You can share a bite of fish and grits together on the same fork. It is so good." 

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Back in South Carolina, Earhardt said she used to eat grilled flounder and grits with a side of tomatoes. 

"My friend who introduced me to this recipe — we would have a glass of white wine, our fish, our grits and our tomatoes. His family owned the farmer's market in Columbia, South Carolina," she said. 

Earhardt said she would always eat fish and grits with a side of sliced tomatoes and a glass of white wine. (Fox News)

Earhardt would always salt her tomatoes, she said. 

"This is a healthy meal, too," said Shimkus. 

"Well, I don't know if grits are healthy — but who cares! It's delicious." 

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"Fox & Friends" will also be giving away a copy of the new cookbook. 

To win, follow Shimkus on Instagram, like her most recent post, and post a "friendsgiving" photo or video while using the hashtag #FoxandFriendsgiving.

The contest ends on Nov. 24. 

For more information about the new cookbook, "Cooking with Friends," and how to order it, check out the Fox News Books website.

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.