Here is the second recipe from Karen Morgan of Blackbird Bakery.  You’ll notice that her stuffings are moist, but not soggy.

Vieux Marc Cornbread Stuffing

Serves 6-8, enough to fill a 10-12 pound turkey

1 recipe Blackbird Bakery Cornbread, about 8 cups

1 large white onion, finely chopped, about 1 ½ cups

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped, about 1 ½ cups

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper

8 chicken livers, cubed

3/4 cup Vieux Marc Brandy

¼ cup fresh thyme, finely chopped

¼ cup fresh sage, finely chopped

¼ cup parsley, finely chopped

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 cup pecans

1 cup golden raisins

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Crumble the cornbread on a jellyroll pan and toast for 15-20 minutes, tossing halfway through to insure an even toast.

In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over a medium flame.  When it foams, add the diced onions.  Sautee for 10 minutes over medium heat and then add the salt and pepper.  Cook for an additional 15 minutes and the onions are transparent.  Add the chicken livers and cook until they turn brown.  Add ¼ cup of the Vieux Marc and cook for about 3 minutes more and then remove from the heat.

When the cornbread is done in the oven, allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then pour it into a very large mixing bowl.   Using the same pan, toast the pecans for 3-5 minutes at 400F.  Remove immediately and transfer to a cutting board so the nuts will not continue to roast on the hot pan.

Drizzle the remaining ½ cup of Vieux Marc onto the cornbread and toss with your hands.  Add the onion-chicken liver mixture, the fresh and dried thyme, sage, and parsley. Toss with your hands.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Coarsely chop the pecans and add them with the raisins to the stuffing, toss to combine.  Add the stuffing to your bird or to a casserole dish.

Southern Cornbread

serves 6-8

1 1⁄4 cups stone ground cornmeal

1⁄2 cup sorghum flour

1⁄2 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup glutenous rice flour

2 teaspoons guar gum

2-1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs, beaten

1 1⁄2 cups organic buttermilk

1 15oz. can whole kernel corn, drained or 2 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

Preheat oven to 425ºF and liberally grease an 8” square baking pan with either safflower oil (which is a wonderful high heat oil) or beacon fat.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all your dry ingredients and stir to incorporate.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in your eggs and buttermilk and then the melted butter.  Mix until fluid yet firm.  Fold in your corn kernels.  Your batter should be quite thick at this point.  Pour your batter into your prepared baking pan and bake for 35 minutes and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.