The American Favorites section is where we have placed recipes for dishes that have become American favorites; these recipes are for foods that are enjoyed by many people throughout this great country of ours. In this particular section, I won't assign a specific part of the country as being the origin of the recipe.
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Cornbread Stuffing
10 T butter ½ tsp salt
1½ c finely chopped onion Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound well-seasoned sausage meat 2 tsp thyme
The turkey liver ¼ c finely chopped fresh parsley
6 c coarsely crumbled cornbread, ¼ c Madeira or sherry
using recipe below ¼ c heavy cream
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CORNBREAD STUFFING: Melt 8 T of the butter in a large, heavy skillet, add
the chopped onions and cook over moderate heat for 6 to 8 minutes, or until
they color lightly. Scrape them into a large mixing bowl. Add the sausage to
the skillet, now set over medium heat, and break the meat up with a fork as
it cooks. When the meat is lightly browned, transfer it to a sieve set over
a small bowl and let the fat drain through. Meanwhile, again in the same pan,
melt the remaining 2 T of butter and, when the foam subsides, add the turkey
liver. Brown it over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then chop it coarsely and
combine with the onions in the bowl. Add the drained sausage meat, cornbread
crumbs, salt, a few grindings of black pepper, the thyme and parsley. With a
large spoon, gently stir the ingredients together, then moisten the stuffing
with the Madeira or sherry and cream. Taste for seasoning.
Turkey
A 10- to 12-pound wild turkey 12 T melted butter (1½ quarter-pound
1 tsp salt sticks)
Freshly ground black pepper ½ c coarsely chopped onion
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TURKEY: Preheat the oven to 350°. Wash the turkey under cold running water
and dry it thoroughly inside and out with paper towels. Rub the inside of the
turkey with the salt and a few grindings of pepper, and fill the body and
breast cavities loosely with the stuffing, closing the openings with skewers
or sewing them with thread. Truss the bird securely. With a pastry brush or
paper towel, brush the outside of the turkey with a few tablespoons of the
melted butter and sprinkle it with salt. Place the bird on a rack in a
shallow roasting pan and scatter the onions around it in the bottom of the
pan. Roast the turkey uncovered in the middle of the oven for about 2 hours,
basting it every 15 minutes or so with the rest of the melted butter and with
the drippings that accumulate in the pan.To test for doneness, pierce the thigh of the bird with the tip of a small, sharp knife. The juice should spurt out a clear yellow; if it is slightly pink, roast the bird for another 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a heated platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Gravy
3 T flour ½ c light cream
1 c water or chicken stock, White Pepper
fresh or canned Salt
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GRAVY: While the turkey is resting, make the gravy. Pour off all but about
3 T of fat from the roasting pan and stir the flour into the pan. When the
flour is thoroughly absorbed, add the cup of water or stock. Bring to a boil
over high heat, stirring constantly with a wire whisk and incorporating into
the liquid the brown sediment on the bottom and sides of the pan. When the
sauce is quite thick, beat in the cream. If you prefer the gravy thinner,
add a little more cream. Taste for seasoning and pour into a heated gravy
boat. The gravy may be strained if you like. Serves 8 to 10.NOTE: A domestic turkey may be stuffed and roasted in the same fashion as a wild turkey but may take 15 minutes or so longer to roast. Use the same test for doneness as described above.
1½ c yellow cornmeal 6 T melted and cooled butter
1 c all-purpose flour 8 T melted and cooled vegetable
1 tsp salt shortening
1 T baking powder 1½ c milk
2 eggs
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Preheat the oven to 400°. Sift into a mixing bowl the cornmeal, flour,
salt and baking powder. Beat the eggs lightly, add the melted butter and
shortening, and stir in the 1½ cups of milk. Pour into the bowl of dry
ingredients and beat together for about a minute, or until smooth. Do not
overbeat. Lightly butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan or 8-by-12-inch
shallow baking pan and pour in the batter. Bake in the center of the oven
for about 30 minutes, or until the bread comes slightly away from the edge
of the pan and is golden brown. Makes one 9-inch loaf.
