Ingredients:
1 recipe skillet cornbread, crumbled, recipe follows*
1 pound fresh chorizo (not dried)
4 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing the baking pan
2 large leeks, cleaned and sliced into 1/4 inch half rounds
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped mix of parsley and sage
1/2 cup white wine
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups whole milk
3 eggs
1 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup red wine
kosher salt and pepper
Directions:
Place the dried cherries and red wine in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 30 seconds. Set aside for 15 minutes, then drain the wine and set the cherries aside until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to bake at 375 F.
Place the cornbread cubes in a large bowl and set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and the pan is hot, add the chorizo to the pan. Cook the chorizo, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula, until it is cooked through, brown and a little crispy. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the leeks to the pan along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the leeks have softened, add the garlic, parsley and sage and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the wine and bring to a simmer, allow to simmer until the wine reduces by half. Melt the last tablespoon of butter in the pan.
Pour this mixture into the bowl with the cornbread and add the cherries, 1 teaspoon of salt and several grindings of pepper. Gently toss everything together with a large spoon or your hands. Take a spoonful and taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
In a bowl or measuring cup whisk together the eggs and whole milk. Pour this into the bowl with the cornbread mixture and gently mix everything together to moisten the cornbread cubes, being careful to not let them crumble too much.
Butter the bottoms and sides of a shallow 9x13 inch dish, or two shallow baking dishes (you want to keep the layers thin so you get more crispy topping) and gently move the cornbread mixture into the dish. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil from the pan and bake for another 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crispy. Serve hot.
*I like to bake my cornbread a couple days before assembling the stuffing so it has a chance to dry out. Bake it, crumble it into large pieces on a baking sheet, cover with a towel and leave on the counter for 2 days. Otherwise, if baking and using the same day you can dry it out in the oven before using. Repeat crumbling process onto a baking sheet, then bake in a 350 F oven for 10-20 minutes or until quite dry. Proceed with recipe.
*cornbread stuffing can be a day ahead, put into its baking dish, and wrapped with plastic wrap before baking. Remove the plastic wrap and follow the same baking instructions by wrapping with foil before baking.
Skillet Cornbread:
10 tablespoons butter
2 cups cornmeal
2 cups AP flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 large eggs
2-1/2 cups buttermilk
Preheat oven to bake at 400 F.
Heat a large cast iron pan over medium heat. Add 8 tablespoons of the butter to the pan and cook until the butter browns and smells nutty. Remove from the heat.
In a large bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a liquid measuring cup or a bowl mix together the eggs and buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid ingredients. Gently whisk together until just combined. Fold in the brown butter from the cast iron pan.
Return the pan to the stove over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to coat the pan as it melts. Turn off the heat and pour in the cornbread batter. Move the pan to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until set.
You can enjoy this cornbread as is, or proceed with using it for the stuffing recipe.