Planet Podcast for November 21: It's all about the dressin'
Thursday, November 22, 2007
By Ben Cannon
Jackson Hole, Wyoming - For those born above the Mason-Dixon Line (and to many who came from
south of it; Delaware, after all, sits below the line), it is time for
you to learn about one of the most justly beloved Southern foods:
cornbread dressing.
Cornbread
dressing might appear to be what many of you call “stuffing.” It is
perhaps a kind of stuffing, but that is a matter of semantics and, by
and large, the similarities end there. Make no conclusion that
cornbread dressing is just plain ol’ stuffing.
No, cornbread
dressing is not like that starchy holiday side dish often made from
stale white sandwich breadcrumbs (or from a box) and found on family
tables throughout much of the country during the holiday season.
Cornbread dressing is more like a rich, spiced bread pudding that was
sent down from Providence Himself to pile alongside thick cuts of
turkey – the two foods divinely condemned to drown in gravy black as
the brackish backwaters of Acadiana (with a side of sweet potatoes).
Okay, enough of that.
Cornbread
dressing is but one of a handful of dressings found throughout much of
the South but that one does n
ot really discover in popularity
elsewhere. Alongside pecan, oyster and rice dressings, cornbread
dressing is the best known – at least in the corners of Louisiana and
Mississippi I’ve inhabited. In my family the food is more than just a
holiday staple: It’s a veritable family tradition. My mother based her
own recipe on that of Paul Prudhomme’s, which he published in his
“Louisiana Kitchen” cookbook.
While I could take the
opportunity to delve into the socio-economical implications of
cornbread dressing (the historical prevalence of cornbread throughout
the agricultural Southeast, the Victorian era aristocrat’s preference
for the word “dressing” over the more plebian “stuffing”), time’s
a-wastin’. So here goes:
In a large skillet or wok, melt 1/2 cup
butter and 4 tablespoons margarine. Add 1 cup finely chopped onions,
3/4 cup finely chopped green bell peppers, 1/2 cup finely chopped
celery, 1 tsp. minced garlic and 2 bay leaves. Sauté over high heat for
about 2 minutes before adding a pre-mixed combination of 3 tsp. salt,
1/2 tsp. white pepper, 1 tsp. cayenne, 1 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp.
dried oregano, 1/2 tsp. onion powder. Continue to cook for 5 minutes.
Add 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock, 1 Tbl. Louisiana-style hot sauce.
After turning off the heat, add 5 cups finely crumbled cornbread, 8 oz.
cream, and 3 lightly beaten eggs. Spoon the mixture into a well-greased
baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
A dark
golden, almost browned crust on top is what you’re shooting for, so
leave it in the oven until then. To watch me make cornbread dressing,
go to www.PlanetJH.com and click on the Podcast icon. Hope I’ve made
your Thanksgiving just a little bit happier.
PERMALINK:
Planet Podcast for November 21: It's all about the dressin' | Planet JH News Article: News Podcasts
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