Thanksgiving is over but I feel, as a service to humanity, I should share the world's ultimate stuffing recipe. Now depending on one's geographical location various ingredients make their way into holiday stuffing; sausage, oysters or the poor bird's own entrails are sometimes added. In addition I have seen bacon, fruit, nuts and potatoes (regular and sweet) added but I have never had a better stuffing than mom's. Its beauty lies in its simplicity- the main flavoring agents (other than the bird it resides in) are dried onions and celery. Not only are they readily available and keep forever in the spice cabinet but like herbs their flavor intensifies when dried, adding more flavor to the stuffing than their fresh counterparts could. In addition to stuffing turkey it is fantastic in a roast chicken or between two slabs of ribs.
Mom's Stuffing
1 large loaf of cheap white bread (if you paid more than $1.12 it's too expensive)
1 stick butter
1/4 cup dried minced onion
3 tbs celery flakes (found in the spice aisle at the supermarket)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 325° and put your tea kettle on the fire. Cube the bread and toss it in your largest bowl. Slice the butter thinly and add to cubed bread. Add onion, celery, salt and pepper. When your tea kettle whistles pour about a cup of boiling water over the stuffing. Mix well with a large spoon and immediately stuff the turkey. I fill both ends and secure the neck skin with a few staples from my staple gun directly into the bird's cervical vertebrae. Place your freshly stuffed bird in the oven and roast until done.
This recipe will stuff a 12-14 pound gobbler, double or triple for larger fowl, halve for smaller. You can also assemble everything the night before, cover the stuffing with a kitchen towel and add the boiling water the next morning then stuff and roast the turkey as normal. This if good for early afternoon turkey dinners.
No comments:
Post a Comment