Dressing Up

Okay, let’s get serious about Turkey Day.

Well, we are only three and a turkey, even small, is just too much to handle right now, aside from the fact that we don’t go to shops that HAVE turkeys…Thanksgiving is not a French celebration.
But mama is making her mama’s stuffing, called dressing in the south, which was semi-famous among her mama’s mama’s circle, and mama tells me that her mama gave it away for holiday gifts to her friends.

Here it is:  Make cornbread (Albers was king then, still may be, but mama uses coarse polenta now) and add a spoon of any good chili powder to the mix, like this:  Mama heats an large ovenproof skillet, adds 4 tablespoons butter, adds the (ancho) chili powder for a few seconds, then pours the melted butter into her cornbread mix:

Heat oven to 375F or 185C

1 cup flour

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon brown sugar (we don’t like it too sweet)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups buttermilk mixed with 2 eggs (plain milk is ok but buttermilk is better)

1 carton plain yogurt

Mix everything along with the melted butter (don’t mix too much, lumps are good) and pour back into the heated skillet, letting the mix sizzle a little.

Bake for 20 minutes or just until bread is firm. (Stick a broomstraw in the middle and  if it comes out clean, it’s done.)

But who has a straw broom?  Where did they go?  Whatever they are.

Mama’s mama broke up the cornbread into chunks and let it sit for 2 days in a big bowl to get a bit stale.

Then mixed in a splash of olive oil, fresh chopped sage (or dried), 3 sweet onions, chopped fine and sautéed with 2 cups celery, chopped fine, and a few garlic cloves, chopped fine, salt and pepper.

Before stuffing the turkey, she added a handful  of grilled almonds, chopped fine, a little more melted butter (or olive oil), a cup or two of rich chicken or turkey broth,  and 2 beaten eggs.

(Grilled, slivered almonds.)

The stuffing should be moist but not wet as it will get juice from its home as it roasts!   Her mama also put a thin cloth dipped in melted butter over the breast to keep the meat tender.

Well, I have to STOP! I’m drooling all over my computer…

Mama, do you have a napkin handy?