Happy Thanksgiving

I can’t believe how fast this year, especially the last few weeks have flown. I swear I’m still in Halloween mode. I promised to discuss stuffing and am really pushing the wire here, but perhaps a few of you have decided to follow my example and buy a bird for next month and are planning ahead, or are perplexed as to what to do now, or simply want to make notes for next year. In any case here’s some general advice on stuffing or filling or dressing whichever is your regional term for that favorite side dish we enjoy with our turkey.

As I mentioned last week, cooking the stuffing in the bird is not the big health No-No that it’s reported to be if you cook the bird as soon as it’s stuffed. Don’t let it sit at room temperature even for a few minutes. The main drawbacks to roasting a stuffed turkey are that it takes longer to do, about 10 mins. per pound. That’s 2 hours more for a 10 pound bird. Moreover, the cavities of a turkey are not large enough to hold sufficient servings of stuffing to equal those of meat on the bird. There is also an opinion that claims stuffing in the bird absorbs too much of the natural juices and dries the meat. I have never encountered this problem, and personally, think the infusion of juices as a bird roasts enhances the flavor of the stuffing. In fact, if I do cook it on the side, I usually add one envelope of bouillon granules, per quantity sufficient for a 10 pound bird, to the mix to compensate.

To cook stuffing on the side, you make it according to a recipe, put it in a greased casserole dish and bake it in the oven with the bird or separately, if necessary, at 350 degrees, for about 1 hour.  As I mentioned last week, I agree with other chefs and the experts in avoiding self basting and heavily injected turkeys. For the same reasons, if faced with one, I would elect to cook the stuffing on the side. The leeching of the injected substance be it oil, butter or any shortening, into the juices could have an adverse effect on texture and taste.

Stuffing is probably the most personalized dish served in the United States. Every family seems to have a favorite recipe eagerly anticipated on certain holidays. Many of these recipes can be traced back to a family’s ethnic origins and have been passed down through generations, but modified over the years. I know mi ne is at least four generations old, and both my Mother and I have changed it to fit modern methods.  Actually, there are probably more recipes than turkeys out there. Still, most stuffing recipes are straightforward making them fairly easy to prepare.

The vast majority of stuffings are bread based. For basic stuffing it’s recommended that the bead be stale, or a few days old. I advise coarser bread than the highly proofed sliced type sold in commercial loaves.  I like it toasted to give it more body and it’s easier to measure if it’s cubed. Some recipes call for the bread to be soaked in milk first which moistens the stuffing and makes it soft, others don’t and the stuffing is more crumbly. Changing the flavor of the bread can give stuffing individuality. I often use Jewish rye for casual dinners, and in the fall using raison bread and adding some apples is perfect. Most cornbread is so crumbly that its stuffings require regular bread in the mix, or it can become runny.

 BASIC BREAD STUFFING—For a 10 pound bird

4 cups cubed bread-toasted optional
1 medium onion chopped fine
½ rib of celery chopped fine
2 Tbs. melted butter
1 egg
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Salt and pepper to taste
Milk or Half & Hal

Mix the first 6 ingredients in a bowl, and add only enough milk to fully moisten, then add salt and pepper. Fill the bird’s cavities, the main one first, and roast, or place stuffing in a greased casserole and cook with the roast for 1 hr.
NOTE: One chef I know measures the bread she needs in hamburger buns—1/2 bun per pound of bird.  If you are using sliced bread the equation is 1 ½ slices per pound. Most books recommend packing the stuffing loosely in the bird to allow it room to expand, about ½ cup per pound, but it’s better to get it all in than to cook only a cup or so apart.

Of course other ingredients are used to build stuffing, my own has mashed potatoes, rice is wonderful especially with fruit or just white and wild boxed mix, boiled first, in Cornish Hens. The main thing to remember is that stuffing recipes are usually easy to follow and allow room for experimentation. With relatively little experience, this is one dish you can really personalize

The recipes for rubs and glazes are as explicit as those for stuffings, and, if anything easier to do, whether they are herbal mixes or liquids. They may be specific to a method of cooking or to a particular stuffing, but generally they follow certain rules that will be stated in the instructions. Just remember that if one contains sugar, if applied before the last 45 mins. or half hour of cooking it may burn. A bowl and the wooden handle of a hammer make great subs for a mortar and pestle to grind herbs if the recipe stipulates using one. Ice tea spoons, better yet the long- handled bendable plastic ones that come with take- out drinks and ” Icies” are great for separating the skin from the meat of poultry and then placing rubs or herbs in the openings. Simply fill the spoon with the ingredient you want to season the bird, slip it up the opening, turn it over to empty it and rub to spread the contents. Remember to wash it and your hands after using. Don’t just lay it in the sink. All raw poultry carries the Salmonella bacteria.

One last word about choosing sides to serve; the turkey and its stuffing are the stars of the show, and constitute enough protein and carbohydrate to fill the requirements of the meal. Let them shine, and think green vegetables to balance the entrée. Frozen ones are fine if you add a pat of butter and some lemon pepper or other appropriate seasoning. Of course, if you’re an old hand at hosting holiday dinners, you know what pleases your guests, but if you’re new to doing this, keep it simple. Don’t worry too much. Pay attention to the main features and you’ll do fine.

I’m signing off now, to try to get this posted early this week in hopes it’s in time to help some people.                 

HAVE A HAPPY, SAFE HOLIDAY!!!!!!