Humble Beginnings Cornbread Dressing
Recipe courtesy of Shawn Loving, CMC, Executive Chef, Detroit Athletic Club
Ingredients
- Ingredients for the Cornbread:
- white cornmeal - 5 cups
- flour (all purpose) - 4 cups
- sugar - 1/4 cup
- baking powder - 3 Tbsps.
- salt - 2 tsps.
- milk - 4 cups
- eggs, large - 4 ea.
- butter, melted - 3/4 cup
- vegetable oil - 3/4 cup
- Ingredients for Cornbread Dressing:
- cornbread - 2-inch pan, crumbled
- butter - 1 cup, melted
- Spanish onion - 3 cups, minced
- green bell pepper - 1 cup, minced
- celery - 1 cup, minced
- fresh or dry sage - 6 Tbsps.
- fresh chopped parsely w/ stems - 2 Tbsps.
- poultry seasoning - 4 Tbsps.
- onion powder - 2 Tbsps.
- garlic powder - 2 Tbsps.
- fine ground black pepper - 3 Tbsps.
- chicken stock - 6 cups
- eggs - 4 ea., whole, large
- heavy cream - 6 fl. ozs.
- egg whites - 4 ozs., whipped to stiff peaks
- salt - 4 Tbsps., or to taste
Instructions
Procedure for the Cornbread:
- Mix all dry ingredients together. Sift in drum sieve.
- Mix milk and eggs together.
- Combine the milk and egg mixture with the dry ingredients. Mix well.
- Add butter and oil.
- Pour into a greased two-inch hull hotel pan.
- Bake at 375°F for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Brush with butter immediately after removing from the oven.
Procedure for Cornbread Dressing:
- After the cornbread has cooled, let dry overnight, then crumble together on day two. Set aside in a large mixing bowl.
- In a large sauté pan, melt 1 cup of butter over low heat and add onion, celery, and bell pepper (the “holy trinity”), stirring frequently.
- When the trinity has become soft and translucent, add all of the spices, stir in, and cook until fragrant. Add to the bowl of crumbled cornbread.
- Whisk together chicken stock, eggs, and heavy cream.
- Stir into the cornbread until well incorporated.
- Whip egg whites until frothy and fold into the dressing mixture.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
- Pour into a greased ceramic pan, or into a two-inch hotel pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes, The top will be slightly brown. Let cool.
Chef’s Notes:
- As it cools, the dressing will crack on the surface. This is normal.
- Before baking it is recommended to place parchment paper over the top of the cornbread dressing and then foil for the first 20 minutes of baking. This method will maximize the moisture and mouth feel of the finished product.