Cornbread, Sage Stuffing by Quay Lo and Quay Po

This dish was product of a joint effort from Quay Lo and Quay Po.

At its heart, this is southern (U.S.) style cornbread stuffing. Yet it starts with a classic mirepoix and just gets better from there, depending on your flair and your taste on the day you make it. It may be too late for this Christmas, how about keeping it for the next?

You will need a frying pan, a two quart covered casserole or a large loaf pan, a large mixing bowl and a baking pan for cornbread.

Cornbread:

Ingredients:

(A)

1 C corn meal

1 C plain flour

¼ C sugar

1 tbs baking powder

1 tsp salt

(B)

1/3 C vegetable oil

1 egg

1 C milk

Method:

Preheat oven to 200C or 400F. Grease 8 inches square pan. Combine (A).  Add (B). Pour blend into prepared pan.  Bake for 20 – 25 mins.

Stuffing:

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups (approx 340 grams) onions finely diced

¾ cups (170 grams) celery finely diced

¾ cups (170 grams) carrots finely diced

3 tablespoons (42 grams) butter

½ cup fresh sage, finely chopped

½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

3 tablespoons (50 grams) freshly chopped thyme

3 cups (450 grams) cornbread, broken into pieces

8 slices white sandwich bread, toasted to lightly brown, in an oven and allowed to dry. Break into crumbs (don’t just allow bread to air dry. Toasting is added caramelization for your recipe.)

¾ cup chopped chestnuts

1 cup (approx 130 grams) dried cranberries

1 large egg slightly beaten

1 cup chicken stock

Method:

After the cornbread and bread crumbs are made it is time to prepare the mirepoix. So called the “holy trinity” of French cooking, it is nothing more than a mix of the carrots, celery, and onion, sweated in the frying pan on medium-low heat, with the butter. Avoid browning the butter or the vegetables. By now, your kitchen will have all those wonderful smells of the mirepoix and you will understand why so many great French dishes start out this way.

In a large bowl add bread crumbs and corn bread crumbs, and toss together.

Add the parsley, sage, and thyme as well as the chestnuts and cranberries, tossing all until well distributed.

Add the mirepoix mixture with all of the butter and toss again.

Salt and pepper to taste

Add the egg until well distributed.

Just a bit at a time, add the chicken stock, just until the mixture can easily be shaped with a spoon into a ball.

Slightly oil the casserole and gently spoon and press the stuffing mixture into the dish.

Bake covered for 35 minutes

Note: I like to use loaf pans and double the recipe. I freeze the second loaf taking care to seal tightly with plastic wrap, and again with a layer of aluminum foil. May be kept in your freezer for up to six months and is wonderful to have on hand to accompany roasted chicken, pork chops, or ham.

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