Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal 160 g; plain, not self-rising
- 2 cups whole milk 480 ml
- 1 cup unsalted chicken broth 240 ml
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter 56 g; divided, 1 tablespoon for the dish and 3 for cooking
- 3 large eggs 150 g without shells; lightly beaten
- 150 g yellow onion finely diced
- 70 g celery finely diced
- 1 tsp rubbed sage about 0.7 g
- 1 tsp baking powder about 4 g
- 1/2 tsp fine salt about 3 g
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper about 0.5 g
Equipment
- 2-quart baking dish
- 3-quart heavy saucepan
- Whisk
- Small mixing bowl
- Knife and cutting board
- Food thermometer
- Oven mitts
Instructions
Cook the base and bake
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 2-quart baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Finely dice the onion and celery, measure the remaining ingredients and lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl.
- Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring, until soft. Stir in the rubbed sage, salt and black pepper.
- Add the milk and unsalted broth and heat until steaming with small bubbles at the edges, about 3–5 minutes. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Lower the heat and cook for 5–7 minutes, whisking often and scraping the bottom, until the mixture is thick and the grains have softened.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the cornmeal mixture cool for about 10 minutes, until warm rather than very hot. Whisk a few spoonfuls of the warm mixture into the beaten eggs, then whisk this egg mixture back into the saucepan. Stir in the baking powder until evenly incorporated.
- Spoon the mixture into the greased dish and smooth the top. Bake on the center rack for 35–45 minutes, until the surface is lightly golden, the center is set with no wet batter and a thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 160°F (71°C). If the surface browns before the center sets, tent loosely with foil and continue baking.
- Transfer the hot dish to a heatproof surface with oven mitts. Rest for 10 minutes, then scoop into eight equal side portions. The center should be softly set and spoonable, rather than dry enough to cut into firm bread slices.
Nutrition
Serving: 1of 8 side servingsCalories: 199kcalCarbohydrates: 21.3gProtein: 6.3gFat: 9.9gFiber: 1.3g
Notes
Timing: Allow about 95 minutes, including vegetable preparation, stovetop cooking, a 10-minute cooling pause, an approximately 40-minute bake and a 10-minute rest. Baking dishes and ovens vary; use the set-center and temperature cues.
Cornmeal: Use fine, plain yellow cornmeal rather than self-rising mix, coarse grits or precooked corn flour.
Storage: Refrigerate in shallow covered containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F. Keep at 40°F or below for 3–4 days and reheat to 165°F. A small splash of milk can help loosen a reheated portion.
Nutrition: Estimated per one-eighth of the dish using representative fine degermed yellow cornmeal, whole milk, eggs, butter and vegetable data. Includes all butter, including the portion used to grease the dish. Specific cornmeal and broth brands vary. Contains milk and eggs.
Estimated cost: About US$3.80 for the dish, or US$0.48 per serving, as an illustrative US grocery planning estimate with package costs prorated to the quantities used. Prices vary; excludes energy, equipment, taxes and delivery.
