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1
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Pull back the husks from the corn to expose about 3 inches of the cob.
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2
Place the corn on a sheet pan.
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3
Quarter the onion and add it to the sheet pan.
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4
Roast until the husks start to brown and the corn is just cooked, about 20 minutes.
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5
Remove the husks and silks from the corn.
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6
Stand each cob on its end in another sheet pan and, holding the top, slice downward along the cob to remove the kernels.
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7
(Doing this over a sheet pan catches the kernels for you.)
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8
Set the kernels aside.
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9
Place the cobs, roasted onion, thyme sprigs, garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns in a pot and cover with water.
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10
(If you need to, snap the cobs in half to fit into the pot.)
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11
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 45 minutes to make a stock.
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12
Place half of the corn kernels in a blender with one ladle of the developing stock and puree until smooth.
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13
Transfer the remaining kernels to a cutting board and roughly chop.
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14
Coat a large saute pan with some olive oil and set over medium-high heat.
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15
Add the chopped corn mixture to the pan and cook just to sweat and soften it, 3 to 5 minutes.
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16
Scoop up some of the roasted onion pieces from the stock and add to the corn mixture.
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17
Pour in the corn from the blender and 1 cup of the corn stock.
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18
Cook until the grits thicken to a porridge-like consistency, another 5 minutes or so.
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19
If they are too thick, add more stock; if too think, cook them a bit longer.
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20
Season with salt.
