Recipe from Lora Smith
Adapted by Jeff Gordinier
- Total Time
- 1 hour 25 minutes
- Rating
- 4(58)
- Notes
- Read community notes
In a lot of states, people don’t just eat food on Thanksgiving; they hunt for it. Lora Smith, a writer and farmer with roots in Kentucky, sends along a recipe handed down from her great-grandmother, for her family’s “pocket” dressing: a baked patty of dressing that slides easily into the pockets and knapsacks of rabbit and quail hunters. The Smiths also have the patties at the table, where they are passed around on a platter.
Texture is key. The outside must be browned and crisp. Inside, softness comes from cornbread and biscuits, and chewiness from foraged mushrooms. A family member (traditionally, the oldest matriarch) leaves a thumbprint indentation on each patty before baking, so that a little gravy can settle and soak in.
The hunt continued through Thanksgiving weekend. “They’d again take the leftover dressing wrapped in wax paper with them, and sometimes turkey sandwiches or turkey with fresh biscuits pulled out of the oven that morning,” Ms. Smith said. “My father always carried a small backpack where he kept extra leftovers and cold bottles of co*ke. His other job was to carry the rabbits and quail they shot in the backpack.” When the weather was especially chilly, the patties solved another problem. According to Ms. Smith, “they also served as nice hand warmers.” —Jeff Gordinier
Featured in: The United States of Thanksgiving
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Ingredients
Yield:24 patties
- Olive oil, for the muffin tins
- 1pound buttermilk biscuits (about 12 2½-inch biscuits) or ½ loaf stale white bread
- 1batch cornbread from 8-inch-square pan, preferably not sweet (see note)
- 12tablespoons (1½ sticks) butter
- 1large onion, chopped, (1½ cups)
- 5stalks celery, chopped (2 cups)
- 5sage leaves, roughly chopped
- 10ounces roasted chestnuts (store-bought is fine), chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 1pound shiitake or cremini mushrooms (or a combination), chopped
- 3eggs, beaten
- 2 to 3cups turkey broth
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (22 servings)
339 calories; 19 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 397 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil 2 12-cup muffin tins. Finely crumble biscuits and cornbread into a large bowl with your hands; set aside.
Step
2
Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add celery and cook 4 more minutes. Stir in sage and chestnuts and season with salt and pepper to taste; transfer to the bowl with biscuit and cornbread crumbs.
Step
3
Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have released most of their liquid and are beginning to brown, about 8 minutes; remove to the bowl with onion mixture and crumbs.
Step
4
Add eggs and 2 cups turkey broth to bowl and stir until everything is well-combined and moist. The mixture should hold together when squeezed in your hand. Add up to ½ cup more broth if mixture is too dry.
Form mixture into 3-inch balls with your hands. Flatten balls slightly between your palms, then set them in prepared muffin tins. Use your thumb or fingers to form a dimple in the top of each. Fill dimples with turkey broth. Transfer to oven and bake until the tops are browned and starting to crisp, about 40 minutes. Serve alongside turkey, drizzled with gravy if you like, or wrap the patties individually if serving as a portable snack.
Tip
- For best results, use a corn bread recipe that does not include sugar; it is also more authentic to use a recipe for corn bread baked in a cast-iron skillet.
Ratings
4
out of 5
58
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Cooking Notes
JRj
I haven't used this recipe, but it is close to the one I learned from my mother and two grandmothers in Kentucky. Except for the shiitake, which sound like a good addition. My soul aches for such dressing. But put them in a sandwich bag if you're going to carry them in your pocket. A better use would be in a turkey sandwich, with cranberry sauce.
Louisa
Also a Kentuckian whose family has had this at every Thanksgiving, but without the thumbprint, which is a genius gravy holder. Thank you!
Maggie T
I love this recipe. It tastes very much like my mom’s who makes hers from memory. I’m glad I found these written directions! My wife and I can enjoy them with our Thanksgiving meal and freeze the leftovers. Whenever I get a “hankerin’” for dressing, I just pop one of these in the microwave. The extra broth keeps them from drying out. I can’t wait to make this year’s batch!
Michele
Wow, these are delicious! I added a cup of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, and had to replace the chestnuts with roasted pumpkin seeds. Next time I will decrease the stock, as these were so moist that many fell apart.
robinf
Can I freeze these?
Gaston
I like that the recipe doesn't depend on sausage or bacon as those overwhelm stuffing (IMO). But how many people does this recipe serve? It seems like a lot.
Louisa
Also a Kentuckian whose family has had this at every Thanksgiving, but without the thumbprint, which is a genius gravy holder. Thank you!
Kat
I would think sausage would be a great swap for chestnuts for those who are allergic?
JRj
I haven't used this recipe, but it is close to the one I learned from my mother and two grandmothers in Kentucky. Except for the shiitake, which sound like a good addition. My soul aches for such dressing. But put them in a sandwich bag if you're going to carry them in your pocket. A better use would be in a turkey sandwich, with cranberry sauce.
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