The Cornbread Gospels (47 page)
Read The Cornbread Gospels Online
Authors: Crescent Dragonwagon
W
HEN
K
USH
C
OMES TO
L
OVE
Kush, sometimes spelled with a C, is a make-do, thrifty dish built around stale cornbread. Today about the only place where it is commonly eaten and much-loved is among the Oklahoma Cherokee. The Cherokee like it with any meat dish, especially pork, but it’s also eaten with roast chicken or turkey, like a moist stuffing/dressing. Vegetarians like kush on its own or stuffed in a vegetable.
Kush has a long, uneven history. Its original incarnation was probably Native American “soft bread”: cooked cornmeal with meat fat and pounded sunflower seeds or nuts. When European settlers arrived and began using cornmeal to make breads of the type they were most familiar with, the “soft bread” idea transmuted: crumbled leftovers were re-cooked in the Native American style, in a skillet with some form of fat and savory liquid.
Kush can be elaborate, as is mine and most contemporary versions. But it can also be straightforward, to the point of being barely edible survival food—as in the Civil War. Then, when the staple corn pone of Confederate rations was too hard to eat (most of the time), soldiers broke the pone up into an iron skillet with as much bacon grease as was available, some liquid, and, in the springtime, possibly some ramps (wild garlic grass) or wild greens. This when-push-comes-to-shove dish, cooked over an open fire with much stirring wherever the regiment had set up camp, eventually became edible. But, in the unappetizing words of historian William C. David, it was “a thick glutinous mess.”
Kush in good times is entirely different. Every time you’re in the cornbread groove, make some extra, so thus, kush can come to love.
AVORY
C
ORNBREAD
D
RESSING
M
AKES
11
TO
13
CUPS DRESSING, ENOUGH TO STUFF AN
18-
TO
20-
POUND TURKEY OR A LARGE PUMPKIN
Although I prefer a not-too-sweet cornbread made with both flour and cornmeal for this recipe, such as the Dairy Hollow House Skillet-Sizzled Cornbread on
page 12
, I am honor-bound to say that many opt for the plainest of cornmeal-only cornbreads for their dressing—and such dressings are mighty pleasing, too. In this latter category, try Ronni’s Appalachian Cornbread (
page 21
), Sylvia’s Ozark Cornbread (
page 18
), or Truman Capote’s Family’s Cornbread (
page 13
).
In my view, a stuffing of this type just isn’t tasty if you make it ultra-low-fat, so my advice is, don’t even try. And also, like all dressings it is an accompaniment, designed to be served with a main dish and some sort of gravy. I have offered a vegetarian alternative for the sausage in this dressing, so vegetarians can think outside the bird by baking it in a pumpkin and serving it with lentil croquettes or breaded, oven-crisped tempeh or tofu, and a wonderful mushroom sauce.
Vegetable oil cooking spray
11 to 12 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread (about 2 skillets’ worth)
12 to 16 ounces bulk sausage, or about 13 ounces any good vegetarian soysage (such as Gimme Lean Sausage Style, Lightlife Smart Links, or Boca Breakfast Patties)
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil (optional)
1 large onion, chopped
2 to 3 celery ribs with leaves, split lengthwise twice, then chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried leaf sage (not ground), crumbled, or more as needed
2 teaspoons dried leaf thyme, crumbled, or more as needed
½ bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
1 cup dried cherries, raisins, apricots, or cranberries (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 2½ cups vegetable, chicken, or turkey stock
3 tablespoons to ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F for 20 minutes. Then turn the heat down to 300°F. Spray 2 rimmed baking sheets or jelly-roll pans with oil.
2.
Spread the crumbled cornbread in a single layer on each baking sheet. You will have to
do this in several batches. Checking every 10 minutes or so and shaking the pans to redistribute the crumbs, bake the crumbs until they are quite dry but not browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the dry cornbread to a large bowl.
3.
As the cornbread toasts, prepare the sausage.
For the meat version
, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking up the pieces with a spatula. Remove the browned sausage with a slotted spoon, and add it to the dry cornbread in the bowl along with 1 or 2 tablespoons of the sausage grease (discard any remaining grease).
For the vegetarian version:
Place the oil in a large pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the soysage and sauté according to package directions, keeping any leftover fat in the pan. Dice the cooked soysage as necessary into bite-size pieces, and add it, along with the cooking oil, to the cornbread in the bowl.
4.
Add the onion, celery, garlic, sage, thyme, parsley, dried fruit, and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste to the bowl. (Note: You can prepare the dressing in advance up to this point. Let it cool, stash it in zip-top bags, and store, refrigerated, until ready to complete the recipe.)
5.
Heat 2 cups of the stock and 3 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan. When the butter melts, pour the liquid over the crumb mixture and toss well, using your hands. Taste, and if you like, add the extra ½ cup stock and adjust the seasonings. Use to stuff the bird or vegetable of choice, according to your favorite roast turkey or pumpkin recipe. Or bake as is as an accompaniment (see step 6).
6.
To bake the dressing on its own, place it in a deep oil-sprayed baking dish with a 4-quart capacity. Dot the top with the reserved tablespoon of butter and bake at 325°F, tightly covered, for 1 hour. Uncover, raise the heat to 375°F, and bake for another 10 minutes.
ARIATIONS
:
S
AVORY
C
ORNBREAD
D
RESSING
WITH
B
ACON
Substitute 1 pound crumbled crisp-cooked bacon for the sausage.
EGETARIAN
S
AVORY
C
ORNBREAD
D
RESSING WITH
T
EMPEH
B
ACON
Substitute 1 pound smoked tempeh, cooked until crisp in ¼ cup oil or butter, then diced, for the sausage. You may use the fat the tempeh was cooked in instead of the butter in step 5.
AVORY
C
ORNBREAD
D
RESSING WITH
E
GGS
To some, a savory dressing without hard-cooked eggs is a sham and a mockery. If you are one of these people, simply add 4 to 6 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped, to the dressing along with the vegetables and herbs.
“I love how blissed-out a tableful of people get over a crumbly cornbread stuffing …”
—L
ISA
K
OGAN, IN
O
MAGAZINE
,
N
OVEMBER
2005
WEET
-S
AVORY
C
ORNBREAD
D
RESSING
M
AKES
11
TO
13
CUPS DRESSING, ENOUGH TO STUFF AN
18-
TO
20-
POUND TURKEY OR A LARGE PUMPKIN
This is close to the kind of dressing I grew up with, and which I made for many years at the inn. It is studded with dried and fresh fruits as well as herbs and onions, and it is irresistibly delicious. Children and adults alike love it.
Either a nonsweet or slightly sweet cornbread works fine here, as does a mixture of cornbread and wheat bread (when using wheat, I choose a whole-grain, and I toast the cubed pieces of bread alongside the cornbread). Almost any cornbread would work here as a base, except the jalapeño varieties and the Yankee “Spider” Cornbread with a Custard Layer. I’m partial to Dairy Hollow House Skillet-Sizzled Cornbread (
page 12
), myself.
For a richer dressing, double or even triple the amount of butter called for.
Vegetable oil cooking spray
½ pound dried apricots
½ pound dried pitted prunes
1 cup apple cider, heated to boiling
10 to 12 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread (about 2 skillets’ worth)
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery ribs with leaves, split lengthwise, then chopped
1½ teaspoons dried leaf basil, crumbled, or more as needed
1 tablespoon dried leaf sage (not ground), crumbled, or more as needed
2 teaspoons dried leaf thyme, crumbled, or more as needed
2 tart apples, such as McIntosh, Cortland, or Greening (not Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1¾ to 2¼ cups vegetable, chicken, or turkey stock, as needed
3 tablespoons butter
1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F for 20 minutes. Then turn the heat down to 300°F. Spray 2 rimmed baking sheets or jelly-roll pans with oil.
2.
Place the apricots and prunes in a small, heat-proof bowl. Pour the boiling cider over them, and let them soak.
3.
Spread the crumbled cornbread in a single layer on each baking sheet. Depending on your oven size and the number of sheets you have, you may have to do several batches. Bake the cornbread until it is quite dry but not browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer it to a large bowl.
4.
Add the onion, celery, basil, sage, thyme, apples, and salt and pepper to taste to the cornbread bowl.
5.
Drain the dried fruit, reserving the cider. Coarsely chop the prunes and apricots and add them to the cornbread bowl.
6.
Add 1¾ cups of the stock to the reserved
apple cider to equal 2½ cups total (hold back the remaining stock just in case you need it). In a small saucepan, heat this with the butter over medium heat. When the butter melts, pour the liquid over the cornbread mixture and toss well, using your hands. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding the remaining ½ cup stock if needed to get it nice and moist. Use to stuff a bird or vegetable of your choice.
ARIATION
:
M
IDWEST
H
ARVEST
S
WEET
-S
AVORY
D
RESSING
Substitute 1 cup cooked wild rice for 1 cup of the cornbread, and add ½ to 1 cup dried tart cherries to the dressing, along with ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts or hickory nuts. This is a delicious dressing. Meat eaters love it with roasted chicken, while vegetarians are thrilled with it side by side with a platter of roasted vegetables and any savory tofu or tempeh and gravy.
W
HAT
’
S
W
RONG WITH
G
RANNY
?
Why are Granny Smith apples, the most widely available crisp, tart apple and arguably the tastiest of the mainstream apple varieties, specifically excluded from the list of apple varieties given in the recipe for Sweet-Savory Cornbread Dressing? Because Grannys, while excellent for eating out of hand or for use raw, as in salads or as an accompaniment for fine cheese, resist cooking. They just won’t move from firmness to that melting soft ness that is essential not only in this dressing, but in baked apples, apple brown betty, apple pie, even simple sautéed apple slices—all dishes that require this softening to reach perfection.
Individual ingredients, even so seemingly minor as particular apple varieties, always have secrets to tell. You can learn them, but only if you listen closely.
“Where the corn is full of kernels and the colonels full of corn.”
—W
ILLIAM
J
AMES
L
AMPTON
(1859–1917),
“Kentucky”
OUTHWESTERN
–S
TYLE
C
ORNBREAD
C
ASSEROLE WITH
C
HORIZO
S
ERVES
4
TO
6
AMPLY AS AN ENTRÉE
I know it’s rare to have leftovers of any of the always-popular chile-and corn-studded Southwestern–style cornbreads (see
Chapter 4
), but it’s worth squirreling some away for this stuffing. In addition to the Border Cuisine notes the cornbread itself adds to the finished dish, such native American foodstuffs as squash and tomatoes find their way into this succulent baked casserole. They moisten the dressing while adding flavor that riffs wonderfully off the cumin, coriander, and chorizo. (And speaking of chorizo, I’ve offered an alternative to the pork chorizo so this recipe can be enjoyed by vegetarians and meatists alike.)