DOVER FAMILY DRESSING
Contributed by Marjorie Castleberry
Marjorie Writes:
Passed down through the Dover family for generations to my mother Corine Dover Taylor
Dressing - small recipe (This recipe is easily doubled
or tripled for large gatherings
or to freeze extra for treats for a few weeks past the holidays.)
Boil chicken or pork chops in enough water to reserve as broth for the dressing.
1 to 2 pork chops or 2 pieces of chicken (light or dark
meat or a piece of each kind)
Boil till "falling apart tender". Cool meat and broth overnight, then
remove all fat from the meat and skim the fat from the broth and throw
it away. Chip up the meat to add to the dressing, also.
2. Bake 3 biscuits and a medium pan of corn bread (I use White Lily Self-rising white cornmeal mix, the regular, not buttermilk mix and make it with sweet milk.) Crumble the biscuits and 2/3 pan of the corn bread in a very large mixing bowl. Barely melt 1/4 to 1/2 stick margarine and add to the bread mixture.
3. Heat the broth and the meat in microwave (the broth till hot and the meat till it is warm). Add to the bread mix and stir. You want it to be the consistency of corn bread batter. If it is too dry, add a little water till just right.
4. Beat one egg (if increasing the recipe, use only two eggs total unless you are doing more than triple the recipe.) If the mixture is still hot, beat the egg in as fast as you can so it will not lump. Add sage to taste, about a tablespoon for small recipe and about 3/4 teaspoon black pepper. You may need to add more sage or black pepper, but be careful, for the flavors increase when heated and also are stronger after it sits for a day or two.
Our family has never liked celery or onion in the dressing, but I am sure you could add anything else you like and it would be good.
Pour into a greased 9 1/2 x 13 pan. Bake in 450o oven for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Check often, for if it cooks too dry, it will not be nearly as good. It needs to be just barely firm and a little soft inside when taken from the oven and a little brown around the edges on top. It does not brown much. This way one can have dressing several times a year w/o doing a big turkey, etc.
It may sound complicated the way I have explained it, but it is so easy. You can even make and freeze the bread ahead of time. When you have the meat, broth and bread ready ahead of time, there is little left to do. I always prepare the meat ahead of time, for that is messier and takes a little time. It is so nice to have it ready.
Thanks to Marjorie for this great recipe. If you try
it and like it, let us know.
And don't forget to visit Marjorie at her Bible
Study Page - Marjorie's
World
 |
 |
 |