The Only Seafood Dressing Recipe You'll Need

Ingredients

• 2 cups finely ground cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 3 medium celery stalks, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 8 ounces fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, drained and picked over
• 1 pound large peeled, deveined raw shrimp

Instructions

1. To prepare cornbread: Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a 12-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven while it preheats. Whisk cornmeal, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Add buttermilk, egg and 2 tablespoons melted butter; whisk until well combined.
2. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter; carefully swirl to coat the bottom. Pour in the cornmeal mixture. Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand, uncovered, in the skillet on a wire rack until dry (see Tip, above), at least 8 hours, before making dressing.
3. To prepare dressing: Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley, garlic, sage, Old Bay, paprika, salt and cayenne; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Set aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
4. Crumble the dried cornbread by hand into a large bowl. Add the vegetable mixture, broth, milk and eggs; stir until evenly moistened and combined. Gently fold in crab and shrimp. Spoon the mixture into a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Bake until set, puffed slightly and golden brown on top, about 30 minutes. Garnish with additional parsley, if desired.