Today we continue our three-week series to get you ready for a no-fuss Thanksgiving feast. In the 1970 black comedy Diary of a Mad Housewife, Tina Balser's obnoxious young daughters rebel at the Thanksgiving dinner table because she has altered the stuffing recipe.
"This stuffing tastes different. Why didn't you make the old kind of stuffing we love?" Silvie whines.
While talk of politics, religion or old family feuds can spoil Thanksgiving dinner, nothing will ruin it faster than changing the stuffing recipe. There would be less of a squawk if mashed turnips were substituted for mashed potatoes.
"Thanksgiving is an iconic meal," said Crescent Dragonwagon, author of The Cornbread Gospels. She is a convert to corn-bread dressing, as it is called in the South.
"You can push the envelope beyond what you grew up with on some things. But do it with the stuffing and you will meet with rebellion."
Then how should stuffing (or dressing, depending on your ZIP code) be made?
Stuffing has essential ingredients -- a starch, aromatics, spices and a liquid to moisten it.
Decide to embellish your stuffing with nuts, fruit, meat or seafood, though, and suddenly there is a matrix of flavor and texture combinations from which to choose. With that in mind, we offer thoughts from the experts on how to build superb stuffing, from the bread up.
The starch
If the Pilgrims did stuff the birds, food historians say, it was probably with oysters, which were in abundance. But stuffing changed during the Revolutionary War, when scarcity of ingredients and patriotism combined to eliminate the elaborate meat stuffing recipes the colonists brought with them from England, according to food historians.
They were replaced with simple bread stuffings, enhanced by regional ingredients. As our ancestors learned, stuffing does not need to be complicated to be good. But, as Jack Bishop, editorial director of Cook's Illustrated magazine, warned: "Your stuffing is only as good as the bread."
Our mothers might have opened a loaf of store-bought white bread to dry overnight on the kitchen counter as the first step in making stuffing. We have so many more bread choices, and some of them reflect our geographic heritage.
Cookbook author Lou Pappas, who lives in Palo Alto, Calif., said the region's wonderful sourdough bread is the obvious choice, and it delivers just the hint of a tang to stuffing. She was tempted to make a wild-rice stuffing this holiday, but she has decided not to rock her family's world.
"So I will go with the classic sourdough bread, onion, celery plus my wonderful oven-dried apricots and Granny Smith apples," said Pappas, who will add hazelnuts, too.
Author Dragonwagon is all about corn-bread stuffing.
"Once you've tried corn-bread stuffing, honey, you aren't going back," she said. Make your own corn bread, she said, because store-bought mixes are too sweet.
Bishop likes challah or potato bread because they really soak up the butter, eggs and broth. Chef Tony Talucci, director of instruction at Baltimore International College culinary school, likes to use croissants or brioche as his stuffing base because they have a higher butter content.
Grace Parisi, senior test kitchen associate at Food and Wine magazine, likes to pair rye bread or pumpernickel with kielbasa.
The seasonings
About one thing there seems to be no disagreement: Stuffing must be seasoned with sage. The aroma of roasting sage is the quintessential smell of Thanksgiving.
More than 2 million ounces of sage are sold during November and December, according to Laurie Harrsen of McCormick Spices. That's 60 percent of a year's total.
But salt, pepper and fresh parsley have their place in plenty of stuffing recipes, as do thyme, bay leaf or marjoram. So-called poultry seasoning is actually a combination of many of the favorite stuffing spices.
The spices may be where cooks trying to replicate Grandma's stuffing falter. Because so many think of making stuffing only this one day a year, it is difficult to tweak the recipe until you have it right.
If you're using fresh herbs, the rule of thumb is to use twice as much as dried. BIC's Talucci advises adding the celery leaves that so many cooks discard. "They add sweetness."
The moisture
Stuffing requires moisture to hold it together and here, too, the choices are many. Should you use store-bought stock or homemade? Milk and eggs? Applesauce? The liquid from reconstituted mushrooms? Or, as Talucci suggested, chicken stock and port wine?
Stuff the turkey and the bird's juices will moisten the stuffing, so it is important that it be loose and not too damp.
If baking the stuffing separately, moisten it with chicken or vegetable stock -- choose a low-fat, low-sodium brand -- and then let it sit for 15 minutes to see if the desired moistness has been reached. Consider adding some juices from the turkey after removing both from the oven.
Some like their stuffing crispy. Others like it soft and cakelike. Milk and beaten eggs will achieve that consistency.
And if there are vegetarians at the table, consider baking a vegetarian stuffing in a pumpkin.
The add-ons
Once you've got your bread, moisture and seasonings down, you're ready to think about the optional ingredients. Just don't go too crazy. "You see some stuffings and it looks like they emptied their freezer and their pantry," said Bishop.
Nearly every stuffing recipe calls for onions and celery, and perhaps carrots, lightly sauteed in lots of butter. But stuffing's rich fat content also can come from a sagey pork sausage, a mild Italian or, if you are from the Southwest, a spicy hot chorizo.
If you are branching out from a simple bread stuffing for the first time, consider including just two extras, and choose them in agreeable combinations, such as sausage and chestnuts, apples and cranberries, prosciutto and figs, pears and bacon, or cranberries and orange zest.
"Or add smoked oysters. They are a tradition and a delicacy in Maryland," said BIC's Talucci.
Sausage and seafood, such as oysters, scallops or shrimp, should always be cooked before being added to stuffing, but fresh fruit adds crispness. Some cooks saute the onions, but not the celery, and that adds crispness, too.
The family
When it comes to stuffing, tradition is a key ingredient, to be ignored at the cook's peril.
Alison Ashton, senior food editor at Cooking Light magazine, loves her mom's stuffing, made with sourdough bread crumbs, herbs and some salt and pepper. "It is strange-looking, but I love it.
"I am actually trying to get my mom's recipe into the magazine. But then someone out there will say, 'Yeah, but it's not my mom's.' "
Coming next week: Conquer crust anxiety with pat-in-the-pan piecrusts.
susan.reimer@baltsun.com
Oven-Baked Bread Stuffing With Sage and Thyme
Serves 10 to 12 as a side dish
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), plus extra for baking dish
1 large onion, chopped medium (about 1 1/2 cups)
4 medium ribs celery, diced medium (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 cups dried 1/2 -inch cubes from one 1-pound loaf French bread, potato or challah bread (see note)
2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
3 large eggs, beaten lightly
1 teaspoon table salt
Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400 degrees (350 degrees if using challah).
Heat butter in large skillet over medium-high heat until fully melted; pour off 2 tablespoons butter and reserve.
Return skillet to heat; add onion and celery and saute, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 8 minutes.
Stir in sage, thyme, marjoram, parsley and black pepper and cook until just fragrant, about 1 minute longer.
Turn onion mixture into large mixing bowl. Add bread cubes, stock, eggs and salt and toss gently to distribute dry and wet ingredients evenly.
Turn mixture into buttered 13-inch-by-9-inch baking dish, drizzle with reserved melted butter, cover tightly with foil and bake until fragrant, about 25 minutes (30 minutes for challah).
Remove foil and bake until golden-brown crust forms on top, 15 to 20 minutes longer.
Serve warm.
Note: Dry whichever bread you choose by cutting 1/2 -inch slices, laying them in a single layer on baking sheets or cooling racks and leaving them out overnight. The next day, cut the slices into 1/2 -inch cubes and allow them to dry for another night. If you are in a hurry, rush the process by drying the slices in a 225-degree oven until brittle but not brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Then cut them into cubes and proceed.
The stuffing can be cooked inside the holiday bird if you prefer; just reduce stock to 1 cup.
Stuff a 12- to 15-pound turkey with 6 cups of stuffing. Then add an additional 1/2 cup of chicken stock to the remaining stuffing and bake it separately in an 8-inch pan.
Courtesy of America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Illustrated magazine
Per serving (based on 12 servings): 196 calories, 6 grams protein, 10 grams fat, 6 grams saturated fat, 21 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 73 milligrams cholesterol, 594 milligrams sodium
Savory Corn-Bread Dressing
Makes 11 to 13 cups, enough to stuff an 18- to 20-pound turkey or a large pumpkin
vegetable oil cooking spray
11 to 12 cups coarsely crumbled corn bread (about 2 skillets worth)
12 to16 ounces bulk sausage or about 13 ounces of any good vegetarian soysage (such as Gimme Lean Sausage Style, Lightlife Smart Links or Boca Breakfast Patties)
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil (optional)
1 large onion, chopped
2 to 3 celery ribs with leaves, split lengthwise twice, then chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried leaf sage (not ground), crumbled, or more as needed
2 teaspoons dried leaf thyme, crumbled, or more as needed
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
1 cup dried cherries, raisins, apricots or cranberries (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 2 1/2 cups vegetable, chicken or turkey stock
3 tablespoons to 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Then turn the heat down to 300 degrees. Spray 2 rimmed baking sheets or jellyroll pans with oil.
Spread the crumbled corn bread in a single layer on each baking sheet. You will have to do this in several batches. Checking every 10 minutes or so and shaking the pans to redistribute the crumbs, bake the crumbs until they are quite dry but not browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the dry corn bread to a large bowl.
As the corn bread toasts, prepare the sausage.
For the meat version: Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking up the pieces with a spatula. Remove the browned sausage with a slotted spoon and add it to the dry corn bread in the bowl along with 1 or 2 tablespoons of the sausage grease (discard any remaining grease).
For the vegetarian version: Place the oil in a large pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the soysage and saute according to the package directions, keeping any leftover fat in the pan. Dice the cooked soysage as necessary into bite-size pieces and add it, along with the cooking oil, to the corn bread in the bowl.
Add the onion, celery, garlic, sage, thyme, parsley, dried fruit and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste to the bowl.
(Note: You can prepare the dressing in advance up to this point. Let it cool, stash it in a zip-top bags and store, refrigerated, until ready to complete the recipe.)
Heat 2 cups of the stock and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan. When the butter melts, pour the liquid over the crumb mixture and toss well, using your hands. Taste, and if you like, add more stock and adjust the seasoning. Use to the stuff the bird or vegetable of choice, according to your favorite roast turkey or pumpkin recipe. Or bake as an accompaniment.
To bake the dressing on its own, place it in a oil-sprayed baking dish with a 4-quarter capacity. Dot the top with the reserved butter and bake at 325 degrees, tightly covered for 1 hour. Uncover, raise the heat to 375 degrees, and bake for another 10 minutes.
From "The Cornbread Gospels" by Crescent Dragonwagon
Per serving (based on 13 servings): 310 calories, 8 grams protein, 14 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 38 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 59 milligrams cholesterol, 887 milligrams sodium
Skipjack Oyster Dressing
Makes 4 cups; serves 4
2 large stalks celery
1 medium onion
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1/8 teaspoon mace
1/8 teaspoon tarragon
1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 pint shucked Maryland oysters, with liquor
8 slices day-old bread, cubed
Finely chop celery and onion. Saute in butter until tender. Mix in salt, seasonings and lemon juice. Add oysters with liquor and simmer until edges of oysters just begin to curl. Remove from heat and gently mix in bread cubes. Adjust moistness with water as desired.
Stuff turkey or cook in a casserole in a 325-degree oven until stuffing reaches a temperature of 165 degrees.
Note: For an extra-tangy taste, core and finely chop 2 medium apples and add with celery and onions when cooking.
Courtesy of the Maryland Department of Agriculture, Seafood Marketing Program
Per serving: 411 calories, 11 grams protein, 27 grams fat, 15 grams saturated fat, 33 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 109 milligrams cholesterol, 1,054 milligrams sodium
Stuffing: In or out?
The most important decision to be made about stuffing - beyond corn bread or wheat bread - is whether to cook it inside the bird or out.
Some like the moistness of stuffing cooked in the bird and flavored with its juices. Others find it soggy and prefer the crisp top of stuffing baked in a casserole and then flavored with turkey drippings.
Experts we consulted suggest cooking the stuffing outside the bird, for both health and aesthetic reasons.
Even if you don't include raw eggs in your stuffing, it must reach a temperature of at least 160 degrees to prevent food-borne illnesses. That's hard to do without overcooking the turkey, which should register a temperature of 165 degrees when measured at the breast, 175 degrees at the thigh.
"But many people would think cooking the stuffing outside the bird is an abomination," said Jack Bishop, editorial director of Cook's Illustrated magazine.
He suggests a compromise. Microwave the stuffing to about 120 or 130 degrees and then stuff the turkey.
"It is a pain, but we like those stuffing bags. They work pretty well in terms of getting it in and getting it out," Bishop says.
You can purchase Regency cotton stuffing bags or make one of your own out of cheesecloth.
When cooking stuffing outside the bird, Bishop says, bake it covered for 25 minutes in a 13-inch-by-9-inch pan at 400 degrees, then bake it uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes.
Before baking this stuffing, says chef Tony Talucci of Baltimore International College, let it sit for 15 minutes after adding the stock to make sure you have the moisture level you want. If not, add more melted butter, stock or drippings from the turkey.
If you stuff the bird, do so immediately before putting it in the oven. After roasting, let the turkey rest for 20 minutes, and the stuffing temperature will continue to rise. Remove all the stuffing at once, leaving nothing in the bird.
Susan Reimer