This week on Good Food, Evan talks to Chef Elizabeth Heiskell from Greenwood, Mississippi. Elizabeth learned a unique way of roasting her Thanksgiving turkey from her grandmother…in a pillowcase. Be sure to hear Elizabeth’s interview with Evan (and her amazing Southern accent) this Saturday on Good Food at 11am. Meanwhile, recipes for her Delta Roasted Turkey, Call Me Southern Cornbread Dressing and Million Dollar Gravy are below…
Call Me Southern Cornbread Dressing
I have had long discussions with my cousin and brother-in-law about
the fact that our favorite foods should be revered
and should only be eaten occasionally. Their favorite is fried chicken,
mine is dressing and cranberry sauce. So although it kills us, we will pass
it up and eat it only a few times a year because we don’t want it to become
commonplace. Some people feel the exact opposite, saying “you are going
to be dead a long time. You should enjoy your favorite foods at all opportunities.”
Whichever camp you belong to, this dressing recipe is the best.
3 stalks celery
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
½ medium bell pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons sage
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 bay leaf
1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 cups crumbled cornbread
4 cups crumbled saltine cracker crumbs
4½ cups chicken broth
4 beaten eggs
Sauté celery, onions, and bell pepper in butter until translucent. Add sage, poultry
seasoning, bay leaf, and cayenne pepper and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes more.
Remove bay leaf. Mix cornbread, cracker crumbs, vegetables,
and chicken broth. Stir until well mixed and liquid has absorbed into the
cornbread and crackers. At this point, it should be very moist and mushy
(close to the consistency of loose oatmeal). Fold in the eggs. Pour into a 9×13
casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Dressing should be set in the
middle and golden brown.
Delta Roasted Turkey
12-15-pound turkey
4 strips smoked bacon
2 cups red wine
1½ cups chicken broth
6 whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
3 sticks butter
salt and pepper
Wash turkey and remove giblets, neck, and anything else in it. Dry the bird. Coat it with 1 stick of softened butter and liberally salt and pepper the entire bird. Cut a sheet or pillowcase into a square big enough to wrap the entire turkey. Using a “V” shaped rack and roasting pan, place the cloth over the rack and put 4 strips of smoked bacon on the cloth. Place the turkey breast side down on top of the bacon and fold the cloth up and over the turkey so it is fully covered. Pour the red wine and 1 cup chicken broth over the turkey to completely saturate the turkey and pillowcase. Add peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley, and thyme to the bottom of the
pan. Place the turkey into a 500-degree oven and roast for 20 minutes.
In a sauté pan, melt 2 sticks of butter with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and ½
cup chicken broth. After the turkey has roasted 20 minutes, liberally baste the turkey
with the butter mixture. Make sure the entire cloth around the bird is saturated. Turn
the oven to 300 degrees and continue roasting until a meat thermometer registers 170
degrees in the breast and 180 degrees in the thigh. Baste the turkey every hour with pan
juices. If the pan dries, then pour in equal parts red wine and chicken broth. 15-20 minutes before
the roasting time is up, remove the cloth and flip the turkey over so
that the breast side is up. Brush the breast with melted butter so the skin will crisp and
brown. Once the turkey is ready, remove the bird to a warm platter.
Million Dollar Gravy
2 cups juices from turkey pan
red wine if needed
2 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
Strain the juices left in the roasting pan. If necessary, add enough red wine to make at least 2 cups of liquid. Then pour it back into the pan. Place the pan over medium heat and use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the bottom
of the pan. Blend softened butter and all-purpose flour to make a paste. Whisk into
roasting pan and bring to a simmer. Continue to whisk until thick. Taste to adjust salt
and pepper.