Cooking Classics
The Technique
Cornbread Dressing
Traditional southern side dishes set the tone on a table of exceptional holiday meals and you had better believe cornbread dressing has a standing invitation to festive gatherings. Several distinctive characteristics keep this coveted favorite on the list each and every year. Although the casserole classic serves as the little black dress for turkey & gravy, don’t mistake its role as a solid foundation staple. Rich texture and simple accents are designed to complement a cornbread dressing of quality. A refined approach keeps the ensemble balanced and sure to fetch a bevy of compliments from guests.
Old-Fashioned Cornbread Dressing
makes 12 servings
Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Cornbread
2 cups soft bread crumbs
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp poultry seasoning
3 Tbsp butter or clean bacon drippings
1 medium sweet onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup whole buttermilk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Garnishes: Fresh parsley & ground pepper
Prepare the Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Cornbread as directed. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Crumble the cornbread into a very large bowl. Toss in the bread crumbs, the parsley & the poultry seasoning. Set aside. Melt the butter or bacon drippings in a medium non-stick skillet over Medium heat. Sauté the onion & the celery for 10 minutes or until softened. Add the vegetables to the cornbread mixture, tossing well to combine. Stir the broth, the buttermilk & the eggs into the cornbread mixture until well blended. Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the cornbread mixture into the dish. Bake 1 hour & 15 minutes or until the center is set. Garnish, if desired.
Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Cornbread
makes 8 servings
Authentic southern cornbread doesn’t have sugar in it & starts with an heirloom cast iron skillet, generally passed down from generation to generation. Since this may not always be possible, start your own family tradition. Cast iron skillets make wonderful gifts & be sure to accompany with my easy recipe.
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups plain yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp table salt
1 1/2 cups whole buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Dab a small amount of vegetable oil in the bottom & around the sides of a well-seasoned 8-inch cast iron skillet using a paper towel. Place the butter in the skillet & place in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the butter melts. Whisk together the cornmeal, the flour, the baking soda & the salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the buttermilk & the eggs just until blended. Remove the skillet from the oven. Whisk the melted butter into the cornmeal mixture. Pour the cornmeal mixture back into the hot cast iron skillet. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until set in the center. Loosen the edges with a small palate knife. Slice into wedges & serve with additional softened butter.
FROM THE KITCHEN OF BUTTERMILK LIPSTICK
{testing notes}
How To Make Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing
Authentic cornbread dressing is prepared with a batch of homemade cornbread made with full fat buttermilk & baked in an heirloom cast iron skillet. Beyond that, it’s the additions that give it the attention it deserves when accompanied with a variety of expected, traditional Thanksgiving recipes. When building the flavor components of cornbread dressing, be mindful of the other entrees & side dishes that will accompany it on the plate. Old-Fashioned Cornbread Dressing offers a well-seasoned dish with faint notes of sage from the poultry seasoning. The texture– light & moist. Full fat buttermilk gives it just the right balance with a pleasing twang. Your best authentic southern-style cornbread is just a few effortless techniques away.
The Technique
Once a skillet of buttermilk cornbread has been prepared & a quick dice of aromatic vegetables, authentic dressing blends together quickly. Learn the basic fundamentals of preparing this holiday recipe classic. Here’s what you should know.
No. 1
The Cornbread
Homemade cornbread is a must for a cornbread dressing of quality but the good news is that it can be made in advance if you prefer to save a little time closer to the main gathering. Refrigerate the baked cornbread up to 2 days ahead of the preparations then crumble & proceed with the recipe as directed. Conversely, the cornbread can be prepared, cooled & placed in a zip-top bag & placed in the freezer for up to 2 weeks ahead of time. Simply thaw the cornbread overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding with the recipe as directed. Look for valuable pointers on how to prepare the Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Cornbread needed in order to prepare the recipe & expect it to yield about 6 cups of cornbread crumbs for the dressing preparation.
No. 2
The Procedure
The Cornbread, The Bread Crumbs… Etc
The cornbread can be crumbled directly into the bowl. Make your own fresh bread crumbs by tearing bits of bread & pulsing them in the food processor. As far as the bread variety, truly anything will work just fine however I prefer to use those from the Buttermilk Boule. Look for additional pointers on the subject: The Basics: Fresh Breadcrumbs.
A blend of pantry staples by way of poultry seasoning & fresh parsley offers lovely seasoning elements to this holiday recipe.
The Aromatic Vegetables
Dice the celery & the onion. Portion the butter & have everything ready to cook on the stovetop.
2a
Sauté the vegetables in the butter until softened. Sprinkle a little kosher salt & grind a bit of fresh peppercorns over the vegetables as they cook. One of the most important things you can do when cooking is to build flavors as you work through the process. The cooked vegetables can be added to the cornbread mixture right off of the stovetop. Toss everything together well.
The Buttermilk, The Eggs & The Chicken Broth
Next add the buttermilk, lightly beaten eggs & the chicken broth to the cornbread mixture. Stir everything together until evenly blended.
No. 4
The Consistency
The key to excellent dressing is the texture. If too many eggs are in the dressing, it can be tough & stiff. If there is too much bread, the result is a dry dressing. The mixture may seem a little soupy once all of the ingredients are combined but this is exactly what you want in a really great dressing for a light & moist dish.
No. 5
The Make Ahead Instructions
Once all of the ingredients have been blended, portion the mixture into a lightly greased baking dish. You now have several options on how you would like to proceed if you do not wish to bake the dressing right away.
The Refrigerating
Prepare the recipe as directed. Do not bake. Cover the casserole dish & refrigerate up to 2 days ahead of time. Let the dressing stand 30 minutes on the counter top before baking as directed. Use the bake time & temperature as your guide.
The Freezing
Prepare the recipe as directed. Do not bake. Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap. Freeze up to 3 weeks. Thaw the casserole in the refrigerator over night. Let the dressing stand 30 minutes on the counter top before baking as directed. Use the bake time & temperature as your guide.
No. 6
The Baking
Bake the cornbread dressing according to the instructions provided in the recipe. To check for doneness, insert a thermometer into the center of the dressing. It should register at least 165 °F. It should be set but moist. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator within 2 hours. Leftovers should be eaten or frozen within 3-4 days.
The Tune
“All Of Me” Sarah Vaughan
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