I told you guys last week that I’ve really been missing my family down south… Interestingly enough, I’ve also had a realization: I think fall is my true favorite season. I used to always say summer because warm summer nights are simply the best, but just this week I’ve come to terms that the flavors, colors and scents of fall are unparalleled. And I don’t mind the scarves and boots and cute jackets to get all wrapped up in. Both of these revelations have been showing up in my cooking lately, which leads me to today’s recipe: Cajun Chesapeake Cornbread Stuffing!
It’s jam packed with both Maryland and Louisiana flavor and is pretty much the stuffing version of Daddy’s best-there-is gumbo. And since I’ve been in a fall mood, there had to be stuffing. It’s a cornbread base (I used this recipe, sans the herbes de provence, and crumbled half of it up for the stuffing). So buttery, so perfect. The slight sweetness of the cornbread balances out the spiciness of the stuffing just enough to get the best of both.
Let me tell you this: don’t you dare wait til Thanksgiving to make this! I made a half batch (those are the measurements you’ll see below) and we ate THE. WHOLE. THING. in one night. I barely scraped up enough to share with my mom and sister because somebody (not me) ate 75% of the pan by himself before it was even cool. That good. No joke.
- ½ batch cornbread (use your favorite recipe)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup celery, finely chopped
- 1 large (or 2 small) shallots, finely chopped
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- 6 oz. andouille sausage, sliced
- ½ lb. wild caught jumbo lump crabmeat
- 1½ tsp Old Bay
- 1½ tsp Cajun seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's or Slap Ya Mama)
- 2 scallions, green and white parts, finely chopped
- 1 egg
- ½ cup clam juice
- ½ cup chicken broth
- Bake the cornbread according to recipe instructions. Let it sit until it's cool enough to handle, then crumble half of it in a large bowl (alternatively, you could bake a half batch and use all of it). Then, butter an 8x8 baking dish and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat and saute the shallots, celery, garlic and red pepper until just softened. Add in the sliced andouille sausage, crab meat and seasonings. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the sausage and crab are warmed through and evenly distributed. Stir carefully so as not to break down the crab meat too much.
- When ready, take the crab mixture off the heat and add it to the bowl with the cornbread. Then, add the chopped scallions and stir everything together until well mixed (again, be careful of the crab meat!).
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg, clam juice and chicken broth. Pour the wet ingredients over the cornbread crab mixture and stir until evenly distributed. Add the stuffing into the greased baking dish in an even layer. Make sure it gets into the corners! Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and just dry to the touch. Serve warm.
Delano says
July 28, 2016 at 10:02 am75% Before being cooled is impressive. Good thing you got the pictures first.