Seasonal Stuffings

JuicyChef

Thursday, December 01, 2011

Christmas dinner in my household always includes stuffing, as a big bird, whether a turkey or roaster, always features on the table regardless of other meats or fish. A festive roast for me is incomplete without stuffing. Each year, my mother and I try new variations on old classics. Many readers have written in to say that they are tired of the boxed “stuff” (pun very much intended) and would like to learn how to prepare stuffings from scratch. A description of stuffing is a mixture used to fill another food. Typically, stuffings feature bread, either in cube or crumb form, with seasonings, herbs, vegetables, fruits or nuts.

Nowadays, outside of the classic breadbased stuffing, you will find potato and rice-based stuffings. People are more experimental so you will even find whole grain substitutes such as wheat berries and couscous. It's up to you to decide. Indeed, many types of stuffing are now side dishes in their own right. Minced meat and sausage meat are popular stuffing meats.

Poultry is what we most often associate to be filled with stuffings; I suppose because they have large cavities so it is straightforward. However, pork also pairs well with stuffing, like rolled and stuffed loins and fish. For vegetarians, a large stuffed pumpkin makes a lovely option for a centrepiece main dish. There are great stuffings one can use in mushrooms, sweet peppers and large tomatoes.

Classically, as the name suggests, stuffing is usually cooked inside whatever bird cavity it is placed in or under the skin. However, this will increase the cooking time of whatever is stuffed, so nowadays many people cook the stuffing outside of the bird and this is called a dressing versus a stuffing. At the end of the day they are both the same. True, you may lose the extra added flavour of the bird or meat juices, but this is where your stock and other flavourings come in to boost the flavour. I belong to the second school. I prefer to prepare the stuffing/dressing separately, then stuff the bird afterwards as I feel more in control of the process.

I hope you enjoy today's stuffing recipes. They are very easy to prepare and will make a nice addition to your Christmas dinner. Next week in my countdown to Christmas series, I will focus on beverage ideas for your entertaining needs.

Wild Rice Stuffing with Cranberries, Nuts and Pears

This recipe is one which will bridge the gap between meat eaters and vegetarians. I ate this once at a Thanksgiving dinner and thought it would be an ideal and unusual treat for a Christmas meal. My aunt in Miami who gave me the recipe said she adapted it from a recipe she found online a couple of years ago. This would be a tasty filler for a large pumpkin or squash.

Ingredients: 2/3 cup wild rice 21/2 cups vegetable broth 2 tbsps olive oil 1 red onion, chopped 1 celery stalk, sliced 2 pears, peeled, cored and chopped 1 carton of mushrooms, sliced 1/2 loaf multigrain bread, cut into cubes Handful of dried cranberries 1/4 cup walnuts or pecans 1 tbsp mixed herbs 1 sprig of thyme 1/2 cup apple juice Salt and pepper to taste

Method: Preheat oven to 375F In a small saucepan, bring vegetable stock to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low, add wild rice, cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes. While rice cooks, in a frying pan add olive oil and fry onions, mushrooms and celery until golden brown. In a large bowl, add cooked rice, mushrooms, onions and celery, bread, nuts, cranberries, mixed herbs, thyme and juice. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish and bake for 35 minutes.

Bacon and Herb Stuffing

This simple and delicious stuffing is perfect for large birds such as roasters and turkeys. It is pretty straightforward to prepare.

Ingredients: 1 standard pack of bacon, roughly chopped 1 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp rubbed sage 1/2 tsp dried oregano Salt and pepper to taste 1 day-old harddough bread, cut into cubes 150ml/ 3/4 cup chicken stock Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

Method: In frying pan, fry bacon until it renders its own fat and is crisp.

Drain off excess fat, but leave about a tablespoon worth and sauté the onions for about three minutes, then add the garlic, sage, oregano and a pinch of salt and continue to cook for another three minutes.

1. Add the bread, stock, parsley to onion mixture, stir in the bacon and place everything in a bowl. Prepare a chicken/turkey cavity and stuff mixture inside plus around the neck area which you will skewer closed, tie the chicken legs and roast for a couple hours.

2. Place all of the stuffing ingredients in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper and bake for at least 45 minutes and place inside the bird after roasting.

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Contact me at juicycheffoodmedia@gmail.com

Bon Appétit!

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Seasonal Stuffings