Food News: It's all about the dressin'

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

By Ben Cannon

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 not 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.
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Food News: It's all about the dressin' | Planet JH News Article: Restaurants And Dining

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