Typically, this is one of those dishes that only comes around at Thanksgiving, but it’s really good anytime because all the ingredients are available year round. It makes a beautiful side to a roasted chicken, barbecue chicken, ribs, grilled steak or fish. You can easily make it vegetarian, by substituting the chicken broth for vegetable broth or you can add sausage to make it an even more decadent dish drizzled with house-made gravy. The apples add a crispy, sweet element that goes well with all the herbs, nuts and cranberries. We like using herbs such as sage, parsley and thyme, but the using fresh basil, oregano, rosemary, tarragon or marjoram are all welcome to the party. Whatever changes you make to the recipe, the best thing not to change is the homemade corn bread. It really makes all the difference in flavor and texture.
Makes 8 – 10 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 1 Skillet Cornbread, diced into 1-inch cubes (recipe below)
- 4 C wild rice, cooked according to directions (we use TJ’s Wild Rice)
- 4 T butter
- 2 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1 white onion, diced
- 2 large shallots, diced
- 4 stalks organic celery, finely diced
- 3 T fresh garlic, minced
- 2-3 organic apples, diced. Skins on (approximately 3 cups)
- 2 chipotles, chopped
- 2 T adobo
- 4 C organic chicken broth
- 2 organic eggs, whisked
- 2 T fresh organic sage, chopped
- 2 tsp fresh organic thyme, chopped
- 1-1/2 C organic dried cranberries (we got ours at TJ’s)
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 C organic parsley, chopped. No stems
- 1-1/2 C toasted hazelnuts, rough chopped
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place cornbread cubes in large dutch oven and set aside until vegetables and herbs are combined with chicken stock. In a large heavy bottom stock pan over medium heat, add butter, olive oil, onion, shallot, diced celery and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes until ingredients are tender. Add garlic, apples and chipotles and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often so garlic doesn’t burn. Removed from heat and add chicken broth, adobo, eggs, sage, thyme, cranberries, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Add wild rice to cornbread cubes. Begin ladling chicken stock mixture, 1 cup at a time over the cornbread cubes in dutch oven. Mix well and repeat until all chicken stock mixture has been added to cornbread cubes and it’s all well mixed together. Add chopped parsley and hazelnuts, mix again. Cover dutch oven and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, take cover off dutch oven. Increase temperature to 425 degrees and bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes until cornbread is golden brown. Garnish with more chopped herbs if so desired. Check for seasoning and add salt if needed.
SKILLET CORN BREAD
- 1/2 C butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for preparing pan
- 1 C corn meal
- 1/2 C polenta, coarse ground
- 3/4 C all purpose flour
- 1/4 C granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 C milk
- 1 C buttermilk
- 1/4 C honey
- 2 organic eggs, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large 10 – 12 inch cast iron pan, on medium low heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. completely coat bottom and sides of pan. Remove from heat and set aside until batter is ready. In a large mixing bowl, add cornmeal, polenta, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk eggs, milk and buttermilk together and add to the cornmeal mixture. Melt butter and fold in with honey. Mix until combined. Pour into prepared cast iron pan and bak for about 20 minutes. Cornbread is done when a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Cool corn bread. Once cooled, remove from cast iron pan and cut into 1 inch cubes. Place cornbread cubes on a parchment lined sheet pan and allow to dry for 12-24 hours.