Down here in the Deep South we, at least most of the folks I know, don’t have what ya’ll are calling stuffing. We have cornbread dressing, and man is it good! Here is the recipe that we use. My wife came up with this recipe after many, many long distance telephone calls to my Mother and Thanksgiving visits with my Mother and Daddy. You see, my Mother had very, very few recipes that were written down. She just cooked and it always turned out GOOD! Well, anyway, most of the time.
Don’t be afraid of the amount of Chicken Broth used. The Dressing needs to be very moist.
HOYTE’S CORNBREAD DRESSING
This recipe is made in three steps. Each step will list the ingredients and instruction for that step.
Step one: Making the Broth
3 Pounds Chicken Parts, backs, wing tips, necks and maybe a couple of thighs
7 Cups Water
1 Carrot, large and sliced into 6 or 8 pieces
1 Onion, small and coarsely chopped
2 Celery Ribs, coarsely chopped
6 Whole Peppercorns or 1/2 Teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper
1 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Bay Leaves
Place all ingredients in a large stock pot. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours.
Remover from heat and allow the broth to cool for 30 minutes. Strain the broth and place in a covered bowl or dish. Place in the refrigerator over night for the fat to solidify. Skim the solidify fat from the broth before using it in making the dressing (step 3).
Note: One Cup of the skim Broth should be reserved to make gravy.
Step Two: Making the Cornbread (Best made in a Cast Iron skillet)
1/4 Cup Solid Shorting
2 Cups Self Rising Cornmeal Mix
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk
3 Eggs
Place the Shorting in the skillet or baking pan, place in the oven. Turn oven on and set the temperature to 450° . While the Shorting is melting and the oven is getting up to temperature, mix Cornmeal Mix and Baking Soda in a heat resistant bowl. Add Buttermilk to a separate bowl. Add the Eggs and beat to mix well. Just as the shorting has melted and the oven has reached 450° , pour the Buttermilk/Egg mixture into the Cornmeal. Stir to mix well. Remove melted Shorting from the oven. Pour the hot melted Shorting into the Cornmeal/Buttermilk mixture. Stir to mix well. Sprinkle a little dry cornmeal into the skillet or baking dish, add the Cornmeal/Buttermilk/ Shorting mixture. Place in the hot oven (450° ) and bake for 20 minutes. Cornbread should be a golden brown. Remove from oven and turn on to a cooling rack. The cornbread should cool for at least 30 minutes before going to step 3.
Important Note: Take special note that there is No Sugar used in making the cornbread. If some pre-made cornmeal mix is used to make the cornbread it will be sweet and the dressing will not be any good.
Step Three: Making the Dressing
3 1/4 Cups Chicken Broth, from Step One and with fat removed
6 Tablespoons Onion, finely chopped
3 Tablespoons Celery, finely chopped
5 Slices White Bread, torn into dine size or smaller pieces
Cornbread from Step Two
1 1/2 Cup Water
1 Egg, raw and well beaten
2 Eggs, Hard Boiled and coarsely chopped or sliced
Salt* and fresh ground Black Pepper to taste
Place Chicken Broth, chopped Onions, and chopped Celery in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer. covered for 15 to 20 minutes. While this is simmering it’s a good time to tear the Bread Slices into small pieces. Place the pieces of Bread Slices in a very large mixing bowl or pan. The bottom half of a roasting pan is good to use. Pour the hot Chicken Broth over the Bread crumbs. Mix well. Crumble in the Cornbread, add the Water and mix well. The mixture should be very, very moist. If you think it’s not moist enough add a little more Chicken Broth or Water one Tablespoon at a time. You can always add more, but you can not take any of it out. Stir in the well beaten Egg and mix. Add the chopped or sliced Boiled Eggs and mix. Season with Salt and fresh ground Black Pepper to taste and mix.
Pour the mixture into a greased 9” X 13” baking dish. Cover with Aluminum foil and seal. Bake in a 400° oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the
Aluminum foil, increase the oven temperature to 450° and continue to bake for an additional 12 to 15 minutes. The dressing should begin to crust over and become a light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 8 to 10 minutes before serving.
*Notes: Salt is used in cooking the Chicken Broth, so caution should be used in adding Salt to the dressing, but a very good dusting of Black Pepper is needed.
, I do cook the cornbread in a cast iron skillet.
, so I can made the carrot cake cupcakes this evening. I also picked up some Sister Schubert's rolls...yum!
