50 Best Stuffings and Dressings Paperback - 1997

Excerpt

Classic Bread Stuffing with Onions, Celery, and Herbs

Makes about 10 cups

This classic American turkey stuffing is good as it stands, but it can also form the foundation for three other very popular variations--Giblet Stuffing, Oyster Stuffing, and Sausage Stuffing.  My secret is a generous amount of celery leaves, which add a subtle, but distinctive difference.  If you like your stuffing bound a little tighter with eggs, substitute 2 beaten eggs for 1/2 cup of the broth.

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 medium onions, chopped
3 medium celery ribs, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery leaves (from inner celery ribs)
1 pound firm white sandwich bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and dried overnight or in the oven, or 10 cups plain bread croutons
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning, preferably homemade
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 to 2 cups turkey or chicken broth, as needed

1.  In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onions, celery, and celery leaves.  Cook, stirring often, until the onions are golden, about 8 minutes.

2.  Scrape the vegetables and butter into a large bowl.  Mix in the bread cubes, parsley, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.  Gradually stir in about 1 1/2 cups of broth, until the stuffing is evenly moistened but not soggy.  Use as a stuffing.  Or place in a lightly buttered casserole, drizzle with 1/2 cup broth, cover, and bake as a side dish.

Giblet and Bread Stuffing: Use the giblets from your turkey.  With a heavy cleaver, chop the turkey neck into 2- to 3- inch pieces.  Trim the liver and refrigerate.  In a large saucepan, cook the neck, heart, and gizzard in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat, turning, until browned, about 10 minutes.  Add 1 each quartered small onion and carrot, 3 parsley sprigs, and 1/4 teaspoon thyme.  Pour in enough chicken broth or water to cover by 1 inch.  Bring to a simmer, skimming off any foam.  Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer until the giblets are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.  Add the turkey liver and simmer until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.  Strain, saving the stock if desired.  Let the giblets cool.  Pull the meat off the neck.  Chop the neck meat, heart,.  gizzard, and liver.  Stir into Classic Bread Stuffing (above) along with the bread cubes.

Oyster and Bread Stuffing: Drain 2 (8-ounce) containers of oysters and reserve the juices.  (Or shuck 24 oysters, opening them over a fine wire sieve placed over a bowl to catch the juices.) If the oysters are large, cut them into 2 or 3 pieces.  Add the oysters to Classic Bread Stuffing along with the bread cubes.  Add enough turkey or chicken broth to the reserved oyster juices to make 1 1/2 cups and to use to moisten the stuffing mixture.

Sausage and Bread Stuffing: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook 1 pound bulk pork breakfast sausage, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Add to Classic Bread Stuffing (above) with the bread cubes and mix.  Reduce the salt to 1 teaspoon.


Gingered Cranberry and Almond Cornbread Stuffing

Makes about 12 cups

Tangy fresh cranberries need to be cooked first in a light syrup to reduce their tartness before being added to stuffing.  Stir a tablespoon of the drained cooking liquid from the cranberries into a glass of chilled white wine for a holiday cocktail.  Remember this recipe when preparing stuffing for pork chops, a crown roast of pork, roast chicken, or turkey.

1 cup sugar
1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium celery ribs with leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons shredded fresh ginger (shredded on the large holes of a cheese grater)
10 cups coarsely crumbled old-fashioned cornbread, dried overnight or in the oven, or packaged cornbread stuffing
1 cup slivered blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 to 1 1/2 cups turkey or chicken broth, as needed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1.  In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar and 1 cup water to a boil over high heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar.  Boil for 3 minutes.  Add the cranberries and cook until the skins split, about 3 minutes.  Do not overcook; the cranberries should remain relatively whole.  Drain them in a wire sieve.

2.  In a large skillet, melt the butter over the medium heat.  Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring often, until the onion is golden, about 8 minutes.  Add the ginger and stir for 1 minute.

3.  Scrape the cooked vegetables into a large bowl.  Add the cornbread, drained cranberries, and almonds.  Gradually stir in the eggs and about 1 cup broth, until the stuffing is evenly moistened but not soggy.  Season with the salt and pepper.  Use as a stuffing.  Or place in a lightly buttered casserole, drizzle with 1/2 cup broth, cover, and bake as a side dish.


Five-Rice Stuffing with Baby Onions and Currants

Makes about 10 cups

Rice comes in a rainbow of hues, and they are often packaged together in colorful blends of five, or even seven, varieties, including brown, red, and black rice.  (It is the hull that is colored, not the inner grain.) This is a very elegant stuffing, enhanced with glazed pearl onions and sweet currants, good with turkey or duck.

2 1/2 cups (1 pound) five-rice blend, available at natural food and specialty food stores
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 celery ribs with leaves, chopped
1 (1-pound) bag frozen small white onions, rinsed under cold water to separate
2 to 2 1/2 cups turkey or chicken broth, as needed
1 1/2 cups dried currants
1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1.  Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the rice blend and reduce the heat to medium.  Boil uncovered until the rice is barely tender, about 35 minutes.  Drain into a sieve and rinse under cold running water.  Place in a large bowl.

2.  In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the celery and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.  Add the onions and 2 cups broth.  Bring to a boil.  Cook, stirring often so the onions cook evenly, until the broth has evaporated and the onions are golden brown and glazed, 10 to 15 minutes.

3.  Scrape the glazed vegetables into the bowl with the rice.  Stir in the currants, walnuts, parsley, and thyme.  Season with the salt and pepper Use as a stuffing.  Or place in a lightly buttered casserole, drizzle with 1/2 cup broth, cover and bake as a side dish.


Chile, Hominy, and Rice Stuffing

Makes about 10 cups

Hominy is a kind of processed large-kernel corn that yields mild, chewy kernels, which are popular in Mexican and southwestern American cooking.  Here it is combined with rice, cheese, and chiles for a stuffing that will add kick to the holiday bird or make a substantial meatless filling for bell peppers.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans chopped mild green chiles, rinsed and drained
1 or 2 fresh jalape±o peppers, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 to 1 1/2 cups turkey or chicken broth, as needed
2 1/2 cups (1 pound) converted white rice
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 (15-ounce) cans yellow or white hominy, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1.  In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, bell pepper, green chiles, jalape±o pepper, and garlic.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and bell pepper are very soft, 6 to 8 minutes.  Add the cumin and oregano and stir for 1 minute.  Add 1 cup of the broth and boil until the liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup.  Remove from the heat.

2.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the rice and reduce the heat to medium.  Boil until the rice is barely tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Drain, rinse briefly under hot running water, and drain well.

3.  Transfer the hot rice to a large bowl.  Add the chile mixture and the cheese, mixing until the cheese melts.  Stir in the hominy and cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Use as a stuffing for turkey.  Or place in a lightly buttered casserole, drizzle with 1/2 cup broth, cover, and bake as a side dish.


Savory Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing

Makes about 8 cups

You have to look awfully hard to find someone who doesn't love sausage-stuffed mushroom caps...or this stuffing for turkey or stuffed vegetables, especially eggplant or mushroom caps.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound sweet Italian pork or turkey sausage, casings removed
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
3/4 pound brown Italian mushrooms (cremini), sliced
10 cups fresh bread crumbs, made from day-old Italian bread (about 1 pound)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cups turkey or chicken broth, as needed
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1.  In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic.  Cook, uncovered, stirring often, until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes.  Add the sausage, basil, and marjoram.  Cook, stirring often and breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the sausage is cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Scrape into a large bowl.

2.  Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms.  Cook, uncovered, until the mushrooms give off their juices, they evaporate, and the mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes.

3.  Add the mushrooms to the sausage in the bowl.  Mix in the bread crumbs, mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.  Gradually stir in about 1 1/2 cups of broth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Use as a stuffing.  Or place in a lightly buttered casserole, drizzle with 1/2 cup broth, cover, and bake as a side dish.