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1
Line a lightly oiled 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan lengthwise with a 24-inch-long sheet of wax paper, letting excess hang over ends.
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2
Bring water, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper to a boil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot, then slowly stir in grits.
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3
Reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer, covered, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 40 minutes.
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4
Remove lid and simmer grits, stirring frequently, until very thick and tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
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5
Cool grits in pot 10 minutes, then pour into lined baking pan, smoothing top, and cool completely.
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6
Chill grits, covered with plastic wrap, until firm, at least 3 hours.
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7
Discard plastic wrap and transfer grits on wax paper to a work surface, then pat dry with paper towels.
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8
Cut grits into 8 (4 1/2- by 3 1/4-inch) rectangles, then diagonally halve each rectangle to form 2 triangles.
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9
Put flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes.
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10
Dredge a grits triangle in flour, knocking off excess, then dip in egg, letting excess drip off, and dredge in bread crumbs.
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11
Transfer coated triangle to a large baking sheet.
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12
Coat remaining triangles in same manner.
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13
Preheat oven to 300F.
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14
Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until it registers 375F on thermometer.
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15
Fry triangles in 4 batches, stirring gently, until crisp and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
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16
Return oil to 375F between batches.
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17
Keep grits hot on a rack set in a baking pan in oven while frying other batches.
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18
*Available at specialty foods shops and Hoppin' John's (800-828-4412; hoppinjohns.com).
