Years after her passing, the wonderful
taste of Grandma's stuffing is still quite vivid. It's the same recipe that
has been handed down for generations. I still remember the first Thanksgiving
at my soon to be in-laws home -- oh how I missed my Grandma's stuffing. Over
the years, I've come to enjoy my Mother-In-Law's recipe as well. Here are
some tips to help you create your own wonderful stuffing or even improve
upon Grandma's recipes!
The Bread Determines The Taste
The purpose of stuffing is to engulf the delicious flavors of the turkey,
released during baking.
Italian bread is a wonderful choice
for stuffing.
Cornbread will add a nutty southern
taste to the stuffing.
Sourdough will be more chewy and tangy
than plain bread.
Avoid packaged croutons since they tend
to taste, well... packaged!
Croutons
Slice the bread into 1/2 inch
slices.
Dry on a baking sheet at 275 degrees
F for about 15 minutes.
Cut up into bit size pieces.
Flavor
Vegetables are a very important ingredient
for seasoning and creating the perfect stuffing. Be careful not to over cook
the vegetables, as they will continue to bake during the roasting period.
Sauté celery, shallots, garlic, onion slowly in butter, oil or even
bacon fat. Cook until they are slightly soft to the touch.
Bring out the aromatic flavor of vegetables
by sweating them in a little fat.
Covering them with foil or a lid as
they cook traps moisture and keeps them from browning.
Popular herbs & spices such as sage,
thyme, and parsley are a great seasoning for your stuffing. You can purchase
these in your local grocery store. Using fresh herbs is great, just be to
adjust the recipe accordingly by using more than the dry seasonings for equal
flavor.
A Little Liquid Goes Along Way
The perfect stuffing should just hold together. It will absorb more juices
as it cooks inside the turkey.
Do Not Over Stuff The Bird
Stuff your turkey only at the last minute before roasting. If you need to
save time you can prepare the dry ingredients and perishable ingredients
separately the day before, then combine them just prior to roasting time.
Stuff the body and neck cavities of the turkey loosely. Stuffing expands
as it cooks. This will also shorten cooking time. As a rule of thumb, allow
about 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound of turkey. Extra stuffing can be baked
separately. Some prefer to close the openings of the body and neck cavities
with string or skewers to hold the stuffing inside. Usually, this is not
necessary, and is optional.
Make sure your stuffing reaches a teperature of 160 degrees F to insure proper
cooking. To gauge how much stuffing you will need to feed your guests, use
as a rule of thumb, 3/4 to 1 cup of stuffing per person.
STUFFING RECIPES
Old Fashion Stuffing
3-4 loaves of white bread (or 5 if you like leftovers)
water
chicken broth
turkey giblets
2 bunches of celery
1 or 2 onions
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp. sage
oysters (optional)
mushrooms (option)
The night before, break the bread into small pieces (about 1 inch squares)
into 2 huge bowls or pots. Let the bread sit overnight to dry out. The next
day, after you remove the turkey's giblets, boil the giblets in water in
2/3 qt. sauce pan until cooked (about 20/30 minutes). Remove giblets for
later use or discard. Set giblet cooking water aside. Preheat oven to 350
degrees. Chop onion and celery and place into food processor until minced.
Melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter in large saucepan. Sauté onion and
celery until heated through. Do not brown! (Sauté mushrooms also at
this time if using them). Depending on how much stuffing you want and how
much celery and onion you've chopped, you may have to sauté the onion
and celery in two parts. Once cooked, pour the onion/celery mixture directly
over the dried out bread. Pour 1/2 tsp. sage over bread/onion/celery mixture.
Using the reserved giblet cooking water, pour slowly over bread. The bread
will shrink as you do this. Be careful not to pour too much water in. Mix
thoroughly and smell/taste for perfect stuffing. If you need more liquid,
open a can of chicken broth and pour over bread. If you need more spice,
add more sage. If you are using oysters, add them now.
Once stuffing is of a consistency that it will stick together and does not
look too dry, do not add more liquid. Either stuff in turkey to be baked
in oven, or put in 9 x 13 pan. If using oysters, it is recommended that you
bake the stuffing in a pan so as to ensure the oysters will be cooked through.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour. You want the stuffing
to have a nice brown crust on top.
About the Author:
Amy Schamburek is a mother of 6 and owner of 20ishParents.com
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