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The Ultimate Thanksgiving Stuffing/Dressing
Post Entry #4: 11/15/08
Prepared inside the bird or out, traditional versus modern, to many of us, it's just not a complete Thanksgiving meal without that quintessential Thanksgiving side dish known as stuffing. The two go together like Pilgrims and buckles. Of course there are many wonderful stuffings to be enjoyed year round, but the kind served on Thanksgiving is in a special class all by itself and our focus in this holiday installment.
Stuffing can be a very personal part of it because in the most anticipated and involved family meal of the year above all others, one especially all about your signature touch and family traditions, a great stuffing choice will take your meal to a whole new level. If you lucky and are already enjoying that "to die for" recipe that's become part of the family now for generations, maybe you've already found the ultimate for you, congratulations! Got your favorite? If not, or you're feeling adventurous this year, why not mix it up with something new? It can be thought of as one delicious and fun opportunity for surprise at each year's Thanksgiving table.
Though the argument still continues on what to call it; with many claiming that stuffing is what it's called if it goes in the bird, while dressing is what you call it if prepared outside, once you decide on which option of the two to go with, there are endless recipes and variations ready to be discovered. Oyster stuffing was very popular in the nineteenth century and remains so today. Southerners often prefer pecan, rice or cornbread stuffing. Italians like sausage in their stuffing. Dried fruit, potatoes, and apples are a favorite with Germans. How many different kinds have you already tried?
SOME IMPORTANT TIPS FOR STUFFING A TURKEY:
1. Heat the stuffing in the microwave on HIGH for 6-8 minutes, stirring twice during cooking, until it reaches a temperature of 130 degrees. (If you don't have a food thermometer [get one!!] the stuffing should be too hot to handle with your bare hands.) Then stuff the turkey and place it immediately in the oven. NEVER stuff the turkey ahead of time; you are just asking for food poisoning.
2. Stuffing should be fairly dry when it is made. The bread, which forms the bulk of the stuffing, should be dried in a low oven. Bake it at 250 degrees F for 30-45 minutes until it's dry to the touch. If the bread isn't dry, the stuffing will become soggy and dense. The inside of a turkey is very moist, and as the turkey cooks it releases juice into the cavity, which is absorbed by the bread. I also like to cook any vegetables that go into the stuffing, especially harder root vegetables like carrots and onions. The heat inside a turkey cavity doesn't really get hot enough to cook those ingredients until they're tender.
3. Stuffing also expands as it cooks, so don't pack the stuffing into the turkey. I stuff the main cavity and the neck cavity, filling the cavities full but NOT packing.
Try making stuffing in the crockpot this year. The moist heat simulates the inside of a turkey, and the heat is so even it cooks the stuffing to perfection.
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We'd love to include many more recipes, but for now here are two traditional favorites. Happy Thanksgiving and Enjoy!
(Source: The Culinary Institute of America)
Recipe #1: CHESTNUT STUFFING ( makes 12 servings )
4 oz. minced onions
4 oz. rendered turkey or bacon fat, or clarified butter
1 1/2 lb. cubed day-old bread
4 fl. oz. Chicken Stock, hot
1 egg beaten
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt & pepper, as needed
1 teaspoon chopped sage
8 oz. peeled roasted chestnuts, chopped
1. Saute the onion in bacon fat until tender.
2. Combine the bread cubes, chicken stock, and egg and add to the onion.
3. Add the parsley, salt, pepper, sage, and chestnuts. Mix them all well.
4. Place the stuffing in a buttered hotel pan and cover it with parchment paper. Bake the stuffing at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.
Recipe #2: SAUSAGE BREAD STUFFING ( makes 12 servings )
1 1/4 lb diced crustless CHALLAH BREAD
12 oz. sweet Italian sausage
4 oz. small-dice onion
2 oz. small-dice celery
2 oz. water chestnuts, quartered
2 oz. chopped toasted pecans
1 oz. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. chopped sage
8 fl. oz. chicken stock, or turkey stock
1 egg
salt & pepper, as needed
1. Dry the cubed bread in a warm oven (around 225 degrees F) until crisp but not brown.
2. Crumble the sausage into a pan a saute over medium-high heat, stirring from time to time until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the cooked sausage to absorbent paper to drain.
3. Pour off all but 1 tbsp of fat from pan. Saute the onion and celery in the fat, stirring often, until translucent, about 5-6 minutes.
4. Combine the stock and egg and blend (do not whip).
5. Add the remaining ingredients and allow the bread to absorb the liquid (adjust the consistency of the mixture with additional stock, if necessary). Adjust the seasoning and transfer to a buttered pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven in a water bath until set and brown on top, 30 to 40 minutes.