re: Holiday Recipe Thread - Sides

From the Recipe Book:



Cornbread Dressing with Giblet Gravy

Ingredients:
Cornbread(recipe below)
Turkey stock(recipe below)
1 medium/large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced(or use 1/4 t garlic powder)
2 green onions, diced
4 T. fresh parsley, minced
1/2 sleeve of saltine crackers, crushed
4 large eggs, beaten
2 eggs, boiled and peeled, then diced
1 t each, dried thyme, oregano, and basil
salt, black and red pepper to taste, or Tony Chachere's
turkey giblets

Method:
Cornbread: I usually make it a day ahead. Mix 3 cups self rising corn meal, 3 eggs, 3 T sugar, 9 T oil together in mixing bowl .Add milk or buttermilk until the batter pours off a spoon easily. Pour into a greased, pre heated iron skillet and bake at 425 for about 20 minutes, until the top is slightly golden. Pour out onto a plate and cool. Once cooled, crumble it well with your fingers.

Dressing: Put the giblets (neck, gizzard, and liver) in a boiler with 2 T of oil. Brown them well. Then cover with several (4 maybe) quarts of water, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for at least an hour or more. I will use this time to boil the 2 eggs a need later for the gravy. Boil and cool them, then peel them and dice. Set aside.
Take the diced vegetables and sauté them in a few T of oil (2 or 3) until the onions are clear. Pour this into the cornbread crumbs. Add the crushed crackers, thyme, basil, oregano, green onions and parsley. Add stock until the mixture is just a little more loose than cornbread batter. Save 3 cups of stock for the gravy. Now, season to taste with salt and pepper, black and red. You can cheat by using Tony Chachere's, and I usually do...when it taste salty enough to you, it should be right. Then, add the 4 beaten eggs and mix well. At this time, reserve 1 cup of the mixture to use in your gravy. Pour the rest in a baking dish and pop in a preheated 400 degree oven. Bake 45 minutes, more or less, until it's golden brown on top and set well. Try not to overcook and dry it out. Cover with foil when it's done if you aren't ready to serve.
Gravy: Take the meat off the neck and dice it fine with the gizzard and liver. Add the stock, meat, diced boiled eggs, and the cup of dressing mix together and heat to a simmer. Taste for salt and pepper and re-season to your taste. That's it. Ya'll have a great holiday."