Call for Stuffing Recipes

[neadods]

Having hosed Christmas dinner two years in a row (long story), Mother decided that we were doing chicken instead of turkey and I decided to spend the next 12 months practicing.

I've learned stock and broth making forwards and backwards (I've got quite the library of them now, waiting in the fridge and freezer for instant soup). I've roasted good chickens both upright and spatchcocked (which is, IMO, better and faster).

Now I need to start learning stuffing, aka dressing in certain parts of the States. It's not that I don't know how, it's that with Dad's heart issues, the family standby (which includes sausage) has been ruled out as having too much salt.

So hit me with your stuffing/dressing recipes! Bread-based, cornbread-based, rice or fruit based - hit me with 'em all.

Comments

Chestnut and Parsnip Stuffing

[purplecat]

My family have been making this for years. It's a Jocelyn Dimbleby recipe with a much fruitier flavour than the standard sausagemeat stuffings. It's also vegetarian and I have, on occasion, baked it in pastry with a splash of wine to provide extra moisture and served it as a vegetarian equivalent to turkey.

20g dried mushrooms
4cm ginger, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
50g butter
15ml olive oil
375g parsnips, chopped
50g ready-to-eat apricots, chopped
450g chestnuts, chopped
50g walnuts, chopped
1 egg, beaten (optional)
salt and pepper

1. Soak the mushrooms in 150ml hot water for 2 hours
2. Fry the parsnips in the butter until soft.
3. Add the ginger and garlic and continue frying for 1 minute.
4. Increase the heat and add the apricots, mushrooms and the mushroom soaking liquid. Bubble for 2 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and add the chestnuts and walnuts.
6. Season to taste, stir in the egg if using and allow to cool.

It's now ready for stuffing turkeys or baking separately.

Re: Chestnut and Parsnip Stuffing

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Oooooh! A way of sneaking in extra veg with the parsnips, too.

Re: Chestnut and Parsnip Stuffing

[suze2000.livejournal.com]

I'm avidly reading along with all these recipes, and I'd like to know: What's a ready-to-eat apricot? Canned, in juice? Fresh and ripe? Or dried? I'm leaning towards canned?

Re: Chestnut and Parsnip Stuffing

[purplecat]

Hmm... they are a standard supermarket item in the UK and come in packets. They are basically semi-dried - i.e., dried but not so much that you have to soak them before use.