How do I stuff a bird?

[mrsfran]

Yep.

 

[Cid]

4oz fresh breadcrumbs soaked in milk and squeezed dry
2oz of finely chopped Mortadella
2ox finely diced prosciutto
4 finely chopped shallots
2 anchovies, pounded
1tbs chopped parsley and basil
grated nutmeg
4 oz mushrooms, sliced and sauteed for a few minutes in butter
a crushed clove of garlic
8 black olives, stoned and chopped
the capons liver, shredded (it's actually a capon stuffing, but we just use the liver from whatever bird we're doing, plus a few extra chicken livers, just cos we like 'em! )
2 red peppers, roasted and chopped (or just blackened under the grill/over a hot flame...with the skin removed)
1 desertspoon of grated sweet almonds (for this we just chop flaked almonds - better texture than ground)
salt and blabk pepper
2 eggs

Mix together and add a little olive oil if the mixture is too dense.




As I say, I always do double cos I love it and put a bit in the bird, but then cook most of it in a dish in the oven (30 - 40 minutes maybe?) so that it's moist inside, but with a firmer top, iyswim.


Looks like a lot of faffing about, but it's not actually that bad (although we generally only do it at Christmas, tbf) and if those sorts of flavours appeal to you (some mad people don't like anchovies/black olives/livers etc apparently!) it's fucking delicious!

I literally cannot stop obsessing about it till it's gone....in fact, it's probably my favourite thing about Christmas.


And now that I've bothered copying out, you'll HAVE to make it!

It's a bit... foreign.

 

[sheothebudworths]

Yeah - funny cover innit?


It's almost completely French, but it strays into Italian from time to time....so y'know....Foreign....well, fair do's....


Anyway - just STFU and make it, ya cunt!

 

[sheothebudworths]

Yeah, she's not always the most exciting of cooks, but she's solid and reliable and that's what you need with these last minute cooking queries, innit?

I agree.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

I never stuff birds because I make stock from the carcasses. I don't like having bits of bread and stuffing whatnots floating around with the bones and flavouring the stock.

It's a simple matter to make stuffing in a seperate baking dish. Since it takes less time to cook, you can add pan juices from the roasting pan the bird's in and toss them with the stuffing mixture. With that addition, I can't see how it would taste differently from stuffing cooked inside the bird.

It does. We make both inside and 'outside' stuffing, because our family loves stuffing. As a chef, you better than anyone would know that having the stuffing cook inside the bird, with the juices steeping for hours, is different from just pouring them onto the finished stuffing.

We make stock out of the turkey carcass also. The soup is delicious.

 

[mrsfran]

Here is how it turned out:

 

[Bakunin]

Here is how it turned out:

Nice.

*Rings to book table at 'Chez Missfran.'

'I'll have a table for one please, by the fire and not too near the band. And I'll be round at 8pm. Cheers.'

 

[Y_I_Otter]

It does. We make both inside and 'outside' stuffing, because our family loves stuffing. As a chef, you better than anyone would know that having the stuffing cook inside the bird, with the juices steeping for hours, is different from just pouring them onto the finished stuffing.

Not in the finished stuffing, no. It goes into the oven for far less time than the bird does. By that time there's more than enough pan juices to incorporate into the stuffing mixture before you start it.

When I was cheffing I didn't bird-stuff mostly for health considerations-- often stuffing would have to be prepared a few days ahead and you just can''t have a stuffed, fresh bird hanging around in the cooler that long. Also, for service, it's inconvenient to have to clean off the bits of stuffing spackling the cooked meat portions at service time if you make it inside the bird. I'd be very surprised if anyone stuffs several large birds at a time, especially when plating up for scores people, all of whom expect to be served at more or less the same time. It's highly impractical.

I guess I just don't like stuffing enough to go to all that hassle for a large bird at home. Tossing pan juices with the stuffing mixture in a covered casserole seems an acceptable compromise. No complaints so far.

 

[Epico]

Nothing to add really

Apart from 'fnnnaarrrr'

I can't believe it took 27 posts for someone to say that.

Despite your efforts sojourner, standards are slipping...

 

[Meltingpot]

again I find a thread title in suburban that makes me think it should be in N&S

I think I need to grow up a bit

You and me too Mind you, I'm grateful for anything that makes me laugh in these grim times.

 

[Meltingpot]

4oz fresh breadcrumbs soaked in milk and squeezed dry
2oz of finely chopped Mortadella
2ox finely diced prosciutto
4 finely chopped shallots
2 anchovies, pounded
1tbs chopped parsley and basil
grated nutmeg
4 oz mushrooms, sliced and sauteed for a few minutes in butter
a crushed clove of garlic
8 black olives, stoned and chopped
the capons liver, shredded (it's actually a capon stuffing, but we just use the liver from whatever bird we're doing, plus a few extra chicken livers, just cos we like 'em! )
2 red peppers, roasted and chopped (or just blackened under the grill/over a hot flame...with the skin removed)
1 desertspoon of grated sweet almonds (for this we just chop flaked almonds - better texture than ground)
salt and blabk pepper
2 eggs

Mix together and add a little olive oil if the mixture is too dense.


That looks tempting

 

[TopCat]

By the way - the recipe is from 'Plats Du Jour' by Patience Gray and Primrose Boyd, which is a lovely book that my mum referred to a lot for special things while I was growing up (wherever Bee Nilson failed to deliver ).

Definitely worth snapping up if you happen to come across it anywhere (my mum has an original version, but in the style of Jane Grigson, she got me my own copy from a jumble sale ).

Sorry, I've slightly strayed from the 'stuffing' theme here, haven't I?

Delightfully so..

 

[mrsfran]

Wtf? Zombie thread.

 

[TopCat]

Very welcome..

 

[stuff_it]

You move in with them, get them to take out loans to support your lavish and somewhat lazy lifestyle then fuck off with their best mate and all their records.

 

[sheothebudworths]

Delightfully so..

Gzzz..gzzz..gzzz...gzzzzzz!

Shut up, you fucking tart - I'll be eating the stuffing! B-)

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Ah, I'm bumping this thread, mainly to say that Plats du Jour has been reprinted by Persephone Books.

http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/books/plats-du-jour/


Also the stuffing recipe posted is a brilliant recipe.