So last Thursday the Monday Show Singers gang threw a really fun Thanksgiving party at the studio, which is to also celebrate Ben Lin’s birthday (have a good one Ben!) and Mike Parks’ going away to New York (we’ll miss you!). It was a pot luck party and everybody brought something, and everything was really good. We ate and sang and danced, and all was good with the world.
I decided to contribute dishes that would suit our Thanksgiving theme, so I decided on this Cornbread and Sausage Dressing and also some Smoked Chilli Scalloped Sweet Potatoes. The stuffing was relatively simple and inexpensive to make, yet quite yummy. Do give it a try!
Based on the recipe by Emeril Lagasse.
Cornbread and Sausage Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 375 grams Spanish sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 5 sausages)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
- 2 celery ribs, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- Day-old Basic Cornbread, recipe follows
- 3 slices white bread, torn into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 chicken stock cube, diluted in 2 cups water
Directions
One day before making the dressing, make the Basic Cornbread as below.
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C. Generously grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and set aside.
In a large non stick pan, melt the butter over medium high heat and cook the sausage until brown and the fat is rendered,about 5 minutes. Add onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl to cool.
With your fingers, crumble the corn bread into the bowl, add bread, the green onions, parsley, and thyme, and mix well with your hands. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne, and eggs, and mix well with your hands. Add enough broth, 1/2 cup at a time, to moisten the dressing, being careful not to make it mushy.
Transfer to the prepared dish and cover with aluminium foil. Bake until heated through, about 25 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Basic Cornbread:
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice OR white vinegar
- 1 cup full cream milk
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup cooking oil
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 egg
Make the buttermilk substitute. In a measuring jug, add the lemon juice, and fill with enough full cream milk to make 1 cup. Stir to combine and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. The mixture will start to thicken.
Preheat the oven to 205 degrees C.
Pour 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil into a 9-inch round baking pan or heavy cast iron skillet. Place the pan into the oven as it preheats, allowing it to heat for at least 10 minutes.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup cooking oil and egg to the buttermilk, and whisk to combine. In a mixing bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne, and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the buttermilk mixture and stir just enough so all the dry spots are gone. Pour the cornmeal batter into the preheated pan and bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool before using in the dressing.
Trackbacks