Cooking Up a Storm with Al Roker
Arts:Food
Alexander Smalls’s Low Country Oyster Cornbread Dressing with Crispy Slab Bacon
One of the most beloved side dishes is also the most contested. Is it called stuffing or dressing? And what’s even the difference between the two? Quite a lot, according to chef, restaurant-owner, and cookbook author Alexander Smalls. From what kind of bread to use, to what kind of protein to add, this holiday dish can look vastly different depending on what part of the country you hail from. Smalls will walk us through how to make a special kind of dressing inspired by flavors from his own childhood: Low Country Oyster Cornbread Dressing with Crispy Slab Bacon.
Low Country Oyster Cornbread Dressing with Crispy Slab Bacon
Serves 8
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1 cup smoked slab bacon, cut into 1-by-1/3-inch pieces
2/3 cup finely chopped Vidalia onion
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup roasted corn kernels (optional)
2/3 cup finely chopped celery
1½ tablespoons rubbed fresh sage
1¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
5 cups crumbled day-old buttermilk cornbread
4 cups torn white bread, slightly dry toasted
18-20 fat oysters (1 pint), shucked with liquor reserved
2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
3 large eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
Recipe by Alexander Smalls
For this recipe and more, go to: https://www.today.com/podcasts/cooking-up-a-storm.
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