food/article topic
Preparation of Roast Turkey & Stuffing
There are many sources of instruction on how to prepare and roast a turkey. So most of those basics are not covered in this article. Instead, what is offered here are some tips on how have your turkey preparation work to assist with your stuffing and gravy preparation.
- Unwrap the turkey and remove all foreign objects including packages containing giblets or gravy components and the neck which are usually inserted in a cavity. If your turkey has a little popup indicator to indicate doneness, leave that in place. Wash the turkey thoroughly, and remove any pinfeathers that may have been overlooked by the packing house. (Do not apply soap to the inside of the turkey, please.) Rinse thoroughly.
- Spray the outside of the turkey with cooking oil spray and apply salt to outside and interior cavities.
- Turkey stock to be used in the stuffing and/or gravy, place giblets and neck in a large sauce pan of water. Add a small onion and a couple ribs of celery finely diced and salt and pepper (optional: sliced carrot). Boil until the neck meat comes off the bones easily.
Preparation of Roast Turkey & Stuffing
- Remove neck and giblets and cool until they can be handled. Bone the neck meat and dice the giblets if using. Besure to remove the tough outer gizzard tissue before dicing. Giblet gravy is popular, but here's a nice change of pace: The neck meat makes a nice addition to turkey gravey, and the giblets add flavor to dressing if you wish to use them.
A word of caution about stuffing / dressing
It is important to handle the stuffing with care with regard to keeping it hot or cold.- There's no doubt about it, stuffing has better flavor if it is baked in the turkey rather than beside the turkey. This will add something to the roasting time for your turkey. If the stuffing is actually baked in the turkey, all of it should be removed from the carcass as soon as possible after the turkey comes from the oven.
- It should never be left sitting out at room temperature. Leftovers should be refrigerated ASAP after serving.
Dressing/Stuffing is a matter of ratio and proportions
- How much bread should I use? 50% bread (including cornbread) and 50% vegetables is a good ratio. I like to use half white bread and half cornbread for the bread half of the mixture.
- How much celery or onion? What vegetables and how much is pretty much up to the individual. If you like a strong celery flavor, by all means use more celery. There are a lot of recipes available, so use one as a guide then do your own thing with it.
- Seasoning: The herbs thyme and sage are important seasonings in dressing, as are salt and pepper. Add the seasonings to the vegetable or wet portion of your stuffing. Taste often and let your sense of taste be your guide.
- The vegetable portion of the recipe, that is, everything excluding eggs, bread, and broth can be preped and mixed ahead of time. Just keep it refigerated until time to add the previously omitted ingredients and bake.
- Eggs are used as a binder for the mixture. About 1 large egg per quart of dressing works. Break the egg/s in a cup or small bowl. Use a fork to mix the yolk and white. Add a tablespoon or two of water. It won't hurt anything to add an extra egg or two to the mix.
- Broth or stock is used to moisten the mixture. This is the last thing you add, and it may be the most confusing aspect of making stuffing to those inexperienced in making this concoction. The mixture wants to be thoroughly dampened or even wet, but not sloppy. Don't add enough broth to make a puddle in the bottom of the bowl, all of it should be absorbed by the mixture.