Posted by Loulou on Nov 25, 2014 | 4 comments

Hey, folks, I’m naked here…DO something!

Well, here in Roma, there is no celebration of pilgrims or turkey or Indians or corn or stuffing or pumpkin pie or cranberry sauce or mashed potatoes and gravy—you get my drift? But I’m repeating a blog of Turkey Day last year because the dressing is so good and you might need a good one for Thursday.

I try to help mama when she makes the dressing, because she makes it two days ahead so that the cornbread is a bit stale and that makes the dressing hold its integrity (read: not get soggy), and I myow really loudly when I smell that the cornbread is done. Works every time. The smell of cornbread baking could tame a Jack Russell!

2 cups yellow corn meal

1 cup flour

2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups buttermilk, milk or yogurt

4 tablespoons melted butter or extra virgin olive oil

2 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 185C or 400°F.

Butter a 9-inch baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine everything except the milk, butter or olive oil, and eggs.

Combine the milk, butter and eggs and stir into the cornmeal mix, just until moistened.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and firm.

Alternative method: Heat a large iron skillet and melt 2 tablespoons of butter in it. When it is bubbling, pour the batter into the skillet and immediately transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. This gives the cornbread a nice crispy bottom for your dressing.

Chop your onions finer than these!

Break up the day-old cornbread in 1-inch pieces into a large bowl. Add 2 cups each of sautéed sweet onion and celery, chopped fine, a handful of chopped almonds, a small bunch of fresh sage, chopped fine, 2 garlic cloves, chopped fine and a tablespoon of toasted chili powder. Moisten the mix with 4 cups chicken broth, 4 tablespoons of melted butter or olive oil, and just before stuffing the turkey, stir in 3 eggs, beaten well.

Stuff the bird but not too tight, brush it with melted butter and sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika. Make a ‘tent’ of aluminum foil and let it rest on the turkey breast while baking until the last 20 minutes. Roast the bird at 15 minutes to the pound at 325 F or 175 C until the leg wiggles easily. Baste with chicken broth and white wine to keep the bird moist. Mama makes the broth from the giblets inside the bird (if there are any!) and then chops them up for me later…num, num.

Oh, pooh. I think this year they are going out!

Damn. The door just slammed! Maybe they’ll bring back the gizzards, if not the bird!