A Love Affair With Southern Cooking_ Recipes and Recollections - Jean Anderson [142]
3. Coarsely chop the oysters, place in a large mixing bowl, then add the corn bread, soda crackers, celery, onion, parsley, poultry seasoning, lemon zest, pepper, and salt and toss well to mix. Add the melted butter, lemon juice, and ½ cup of the reserved oyster liquor and toss well again. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed.
4. Spoon the dressing into the casserole, spreading to the edge, then drizzle the remaining ½ cup oyster liquor evenly on top. Place the foil on top, dull side down, and smooth tightly over the sides of the casserole.
5. Slide the casserole onto the middle oven shelf and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the dressing is steaming-hot.
6. Serve with roast turkey, capon, or even with roast pork.
CAJUN RICE, SAUSAGE, AND TASSO DRESSING
MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS
Here’s another recipe adapted from my Food & Wine feature on regional American dressings. The inspiration for this one was Miss Tootie Guirard, a fine Cajun cook whom I’d interviewed some years earlier for Family Circle. I spent a week with Miss Tootie in St. Martinville, Louisiana, and left with a notebook full of colorful Cajun sayings and culinary wisdom. According to Miss Tootie, no Cajun cook would ever “rush a roux.” It should brown slowly, ever so slowly, so that its flavor is robust but not bitter. Because of the saltiness of the sausage, tasso, and broth, this dressing is unlikely to need additional salt. But taste before serving. Note: The best plan is to make this long-winded recipe a day in advance, refrigerate it, and reheat just before serving. I fluff the dressing, cover, and microwave on REHEAT (75 to 80 percent power) for 10 to 15 minutes. Tip: To save time, prepare the roux and rice mixtures simultaneously.
Roux Mixture
2 tablespoons lard, bacon drippings, or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 medium yellow onion, moderately finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced
1 large celery rib, trimmed and finely diced
2 cups water
4 ounces bulk sausage meat
4 ounces tasso (spicy cold-smoked pork) or good country ham, finely ground
Rice Mixture
2 tablespoons lard, bacon drippings, or vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 small yellow onion, moderately coarsely chopped
1 large celery rib, trimmed and finely diced
¼ to ½ teaspoon ground hot red pepper (cayenne), depending on how “hot” you like things
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2½ cups (1 pound) converted rice
5 cups rich chicken broth
1/3 cup thinly sliced green scallion tops
¼ cup minced Italian parsley
3 tablespoons butter
1. For the roux mixture: Melt the lard in a medium-size heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, blend in the flour, and cook, stirring often, for about 30 minutes or until as red as iron rust. If at any time the roux threatens to burn, reduce the heat to its lowest point.
2. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and celery, and cook and stir for about 5 minutes or until limp. Add the water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so the mixture bubbles gently. Simmer uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes or until the roux mixture is only 1 inch deep.
3. For the rice mixture: While the roux reduces, melt the lard in a large, heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Add the garlic, onion, celery, cayenne, and black pepper and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are limp. Add the rice, and cook and stir for 3 minutes more.
4. Raise the burner heat to moderately high, add the broth, and as soon as it boils, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Stir well, cover, and cook 5 to 10 minutes more or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.
5. When the roux is nearly done, brown the sausage and tasso in a small, heavy skillet over moderately high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, breaking up large clumps. Mix into the reduced roux and reserve.
6. Stir the scallion tops, parsley, and butter into the rice mixture, and as soon as the butter melts, fold in the reserved roux mixture.
7. Transfer the dressing