Flour(less) Power! A Truly Gluten-Free Thanksgiving

Flour(less) Power! A Truly Gluten-Free Thanksgiving!

One of the ways to make your Thanksgiving gluten-free is to tackle some of the most flour-laden recipes, first. Because dressing and stuffing is 85% bread gluten intolerant folks avoid this classic Turkey Day side. Now, you can have your dressing and eat it, too! Look for Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free products to make this recipe available in Whole Foods and Sprouts markets. If you use regular corn meal just make sure it has been processed in a gluten-free facility. One note on using oil instead of shortening in this recipe – don’t! One of the nice things about this recipe is how the baked cornbread lifts easily out of the cast iron skillet, or any other baking pan you should use! (Every kitchen should have at least one cast iron skillet in it!)

Pete’s Gluten-Free Texas Corn Bread

1 c Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free corn meal

1 c Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose gluten-free baking mix  

1 tsp baking powder  

1/8 tsp soda

½ tsp salt

2 extra large eggs

1 c buttermilk

1/3 c shortening

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

In a mixing bowl, blend all dry ingredients together with a fork.  Beat the eggs lightly in a separate bowl, add the buttermilk and beat to combine.  Add to the dry ingredients, and stir until all dry ingredients are moistened.   Melt the shortening in a 10-inch heavy cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Pour all but about 1 tablespoon of the melted shortening into the batter, and stir to combine.  Return skillet to medium high heat, and when fat is hot, sprinkle in a little corn meal over the bottom of the skillet.  Pour in the batter, pouring in the center of the skillet.  Place in the preheated oven, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until top is golden brown.  Set the pan on a cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes before sliding it out of the skillet onto a serving plate.  If you are making this cornbread for Gluten-Free Southern Cornbread Dressing it should be made at least one day ahead in order for it to dry out slightly before crumbling up into a bowl.

Now, it’s time to make the gluten-free cornbread dressing. This can be assembled and baked the day before and reheated in the oven after the turkey has been taken out and is resting before being carved.

Joe’s Southern-Style Gluten-Free Corn Bread Dressing

2 recipes of gluten-free corn bread, crumbled 

Turkey giblets from defrosted bird (see note*)      

3 C water        

1 tsp chicken stock base

2 Tblsp sausage drippings 

½ medium onion, chopped  

½ C chopped celery      

½ C pecans, chopped

reserved broth from giblets

2 tsp poultry seasoning

2 tsp ground sage

½ tsp cayenne

½ tsp black pepper

2 extra large eggs

2 hard-boiled eggs

About a day or two ahead bake the double batch of Gluten-Free Corn Bread.

FOR THE GIBLETS

Rinse the giblets, reserve the liver, and place the neck, heart, and gizzard in a pot with the 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon chicken stock base.  Cover, and bring to a good simmer over medium high heat, reduce heat, and simmer until meat on the neck is done.  Add the liver, and simmer 5 minutes longer.  Set aside to cool.

When giblets are cool, reserve the broth, and cut the meat off the neck with a boning knife.  Trim the gristle off the gizzard.  Fine chop the neck meat, heart, gizzard, and liver, and reserve.

ASSEMBLING THE  DRESSING

Crumble the corn bread in a large mixing bowl.  Heat the sausage drippings in a small skillet, and sauté the onion and celery, stirring, until the onion is transparent and limp.  Add to the cornbread.  Add the chopped giblets and pecans, with enough broth to barely moisten.  Sprinkle the poultry seasoning, sage, cayenne, and black pepper evenly over all.  Stir to distribute the ingredients uniformly in the corn bread. Slightly beat the 2 eggs, and add to the dressing with more broth, stirring, until dressing is moist and sticks together well.  Coarse chop the boiled eggs, and lightly fold into the dressing. Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Bake in a greased casserole dish until a light brown crust forms on the edges, about 40 to 45 minutes.  Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.

*So, I understand that most people don’t eat gizzards. If you happen to be one of those who doesn’t want to have true, Southern-style cornbread dressing you can substitute 1 pound cremini mushrooms, chopped and sweated with the onions and celery, instead. That way, while they kind of look like giblets without actually having to eat them!

While cornbread dressing with turkey giblets isn’t everybody’s idea of yummy stuff for the Thanksgiving table, you can make a great tasting and gluten-free dressing from other ingredients. Here’s a wild rice based dressing recipe that will possibly find its’ way onto next year’s table!

Pete’s Glorified Wild Rice Casserole/Dressing

1 c wild rice        

2 1/3 c chicken broth       

1 c brown rice        

2 2/3 c chicken broth       

½ C Italian parsley

2 Tblsp French parsley

4 thin sliced scallions

¼ c grape seed oil

zest & juice from 1 orange

1 c pecan halves             

1 c dried cranberries

1 tsp salt 

½ tsp black pepper

In a heavy saucepan, bring the wild rice and 2 1/3 C chicken broth to a rapid boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is tender (about 45 minutes).  Drain all but about 1/3 C liquid from the rice, and put in a large bowl.  Reserve.

In another heavy saucepan, bring the brown rice and 2 2/3 C chicken broth to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is just tender (about 40 to 45 minutes).  Add to the bowl of wild rice, and toss the two gently together. Medium chop the Italian parsley, and fine chop the French parsley.  Add all ingredients evenly over the rice, and toss very gently to mix.  Do not over toss, or the rice will become sticky.  Allow to stand at least 2 hours to blend the flavors.  Very lightly toss just before serving.  Serve at a warm room temperature.  This recipe will serve 6 to 8 people as an accompaniment to the Thanksgiving turkey. 

Gluten-Free Buttermilk Corn Souffle

This recipe calls for cream-style corn from a can and you shouldn’t worry about the contents! Reading carefully you will see it has modified cornstarch, not food starch which does contains gluten flour! If you are worried about using this product check out the Buttermilk Cream-Style Corn recipe below.

4 cans cream-style corn

4 eggs, broken into a bowl

5 c popcorn, crushed (Old Maids removed!)

2/3 c cultured buttermilk

½ c corn meal

7 oz chopped green chiles

3/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp no-salt seasoning

½ tsp poultry seasoning

½ tsp salt

½ tsp white pepper

paprika, as garnish

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF and move rack to center of oven. In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients above and stir well to combine. Spray the bottom and sides of a 4-quart casserole dish with no-stick. Pour the batter into the dish and dust lightly with paprika. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until nicely browned and springs back to the light touch. Jiggle the pan – if too “wiggly” bake an additional 10 minutes more. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. This makes a great gluten-free side dish for the Thanksgiving table!

Buttermilk Cream-Style Corn

This recipe yields about 4½ to 5 cups of cream-style corn you can use in making the recipe above. For a truly great taste sensation use fresh corn!

4 – 10oz cans sweet corn, drained

3/4 c cultured buttermilk

2 Tbl unsalted butter

1 Tbl cornstarch

1 Tbl cold water

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cracked pepper

In a medium saucepan over medium heat melt the butter and add the corn. Cook for 5 minutes mashing the corn to release some starch. Add the buttermilk, sugar, salt and pepper – stir and bring to a simmer. Make a slurry out of the cornstarch and water. Slowly stir the slurry into the corn and bring to a low boil constantly stirring. Cook and additional 5 minutes to thicken and reduce. Cool for 10 minutes before using in Gluten-Free Corn Souffle recipe above. Makes about 5 cups cream-style corn.

Okay, now for the star of the dinner table: a big gravy boat of sumptuous turkey gravy. But, wait! I’m gluten-intolerant and can’t eat flour, how is this possible? There are several thickeners other than all-purpose flour that work great for making gravy, not just for Thanksgiving and for all other roasted meat juices and fat! Also, if you search long and far enough you might even find one of those packets of gluten-free turkey gravy mix. Whole Foods has a line of gluten-free gravy packets if you want to simplify things! A quick inspection of the ingredients on the back of the package you will find the chief ingredient is… potato starch. That’s it – you only need some seasoning and this stuff and viola! You’ve got silky smooth gravy that gluten-fearing folks can have seconds and thirds! See the post titled, “Coming Off The Rails On A Gravy Train” for more info on gravy making!

Pete’s Gluten-Free Turkey Gravy #1

2 c pan drippings from fat separator

2 c turkey giblets stock (see above)

¼ c turkey fat from fat separator

1/3 c dry white wine

½ c potato starch

2 tsp poultry seasoning

1 tsp ground white pepper

pinch of salt

After removing the roast turkey from the pan and setting up on a cutting board covered with foil to rest pour up the pan drippings into the fat separator. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes for fat to separate. Pour off the pan drippings into a separate measuring cup. Reserve ¼ cup fat in with the drippings. Return the roasting pan to the stovetop and heat over medium/high flame. Add a little stock and scrape the fond from the bottom of the pan. Add all of the turkey fat and heat slowly in one corner of the pan. Add the potato starch al at once and whisk it into the fat. Heat and stir to form a thick roux, stirring to add color to the potato starch. Continue to cook for 5 minutes more then slowly whisk in the giblet stock, wine and pan drippings to the roux. Season with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper and continue to stir/whisk reducing the volume slightly. If a little too thin whisk in a little more potato starch and bring to a low boil for 1 minute. Pour up into a gravy boat and dispense liberally over the turkey and dressing!

Makes approx 4 cups gravy

Gluten-Free Turkey Gravy #2

Just like mashed potatoes and stuffing you can’t make enough of this stuff! Store the gravy for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. This stuff freezes well, too. Makes scads of gravy. Ladle liberally over the turkey, taters and dressing!  The thing that makes this recipe gluten-free is the total lack of any flour! You can use gluten-free turkey gravy mix from Whole Foods or Sprouts but you can also substitute potato flour at home! Bob’s Red Mill has the best potato flour.

turkey pan drippings

4 Tbl turkey fat

1 c of giblets stock or filtered water, or slightly more

1 c dry white wine

¼ c potato flour of starch

2 tsp poultry seasoning

½ tsp ground white pepper

Using your new fat separator, separate the fat from the pan drippings and pour the drippings back into the roasting pan. Add the fat to the pan. Take up 1 cup of this pan liquid into a measuring cup and add the potato flour to it. Whisk briskly until a smooth slurry is formed. Place the pan over two burners and heat over medium high flame until starting to bubble. Drizzle the slurry over the hot liquid and whisk well until smooth. Season with poultry seasoning and pepper and stir into gravy. If gravy needs thickening add more of the poitato flour and whisk it in briskly. If the gravy is a little too thick add a little more water or wine. The gravy will thicken as it bubbles so get it good and hot. Pour the finished gravy up into a gravy boat with a ladle.

Everybody loves dessert no matter how full they are from the Thanksgiving dinner! But what does a gluten intoleraent person do? Make my apple crisp with gluten free ginger snaps I get from Trader Joe’s!

Pete’s Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

FILLING

3 c Granny Smith’s apples, peeled and chopped

1 c Braeburn apples, peeled and chopped

½ c dark brown sugar

½ tsp grated fresh nutmeg

2 Tbl corn starch

pinch of salt

Combine the fruit, sugar, spice, starch and salt. Let stand while making the crust.

CRUST

½ c dark brown sugar

½ c gluten-free ginger snaps, crushed

½ c gluten-free baking mix

½ c chopped raw pecans

¼ c chilled unsalted butter, cubed

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375°F and move the rack to the center position of the oven. In a large bowl combine the sugar, crushed cookies, baking mix, nuts, cinnamon and salt. Cut the cubed butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry knife or two dinner knives until the consistency of coarse meal. Prepare a 2-quart casserole dish with no-stick spray. Scrape the apples into casserole dish and spread evenly over the bottom. Top with the crust, leaving about ½” space between the crust and the side of the casserole. This will allow the steam to escape and the crust to crisp! Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 375°F or until nicely browned and apples are bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Just remember to keep the non-gluten people away from this dessert. Just tell them, “It’s gluten-free!” with a frown and they will back away slowly!