Stuffing is one of those unique linguistic treats that is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it refers to the physical stuff that is in a teddy bear or served as a Thanksgiving side. As a verb, it is the physical act of shoving the “stuff” into that bear’s or bird’s hole—or into your own face hole. Today we are going to focus on stuffing, the food.
What is stuffing?
The concept of stuffing has been around since ancient Roman times. But, in the context of Thanksgiving, stuffing is the bread-based, herb-laced mixture that is usually stuffed into the turkey and/or served as a side.
Stuffing has a symbiotic relationship with turkey. As it cooks, the herbs in the stuffing infuse into the bird, giving it a lot more flavor. The turkey, in turn, drips all its delicious juices into the stuffing as it cooks, moistening it and making it taste great.
There are some people (aka cowards) who say you shouldn’t cook your stuffing inside the bird, claiming it’s a salmonella risk. Sure, if you don’t do it right! Just make sure your stuffing reaches a temperature of 165 degrees and you should be fine. Stuffing cooked outside the bird is another thing altogether (more on that later).
What is stuffing made out of?
Stuffing is one of the most regionally variable Thanksgiving dishes, to the point where the recipe can be entirely different in every house on the block. There are, however, a few essentials that pop up in most stuffings.
The first and most obvious ingredient is the bread—any bread, really, but usually white bread. It helps if the bread is stale by a day or two. That allows it to stand up better to the added moisture.
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The bread is typically mixed with finely chopped onion and celery, salt and pepper, and herbs. The whole thing is given the Garfunkel treatment: parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Then a small amount of moisture is added, either chicken stock or melted butter, and it’s all shoved in the bird.
After those basic ingredients, feel free to riff. In the Field family, the secret ingredient is capers. Trust me, you’ll love it. But I’ve seen stuffing recipes that include things like, marjoram, sausage, bacon, walnuts, pineapple, pear, cheese, fennel, mushrooms, and even canned smoked oysters. No matter what is in there, stuffing must be served with a liberal amount of gravy. In fact, gravy should be poured on everything. Your Thanksgiving plate should look like the La Brea Tar Pits.
What’s the difference between stuffing and dressing?
Some people, generally those who live in the Southern states east of the Mississippi, call it dressing instead of stuffing. When I was growing up, my mom would make two dishes: stuffing, which came from the bird and all my normal family members ate, and dressing, which was cooked in its own dish for the few mutants in my family who preferred it that way.
If you ask me, dressing shouldn’t exist. It is categorically worse than stuffing in every single way, even though it is essentially the same thing. Dressing is the thing that goes on salads. Sorry for coming in so hot on this issue, but it burns me up!
This Thanksgiving, if you are from a dressing home, just start calling it stuffing to really stir the pot. At least you’ll get an argument going that isn’t based in politics.
So stuffing is cooked inside the bird.Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish. Additionally, dressing, especially in the American South, is often made with cornbread instead of pieces of a baguette or plain ol' white bread.
To understand the difference between the two, all you have to do is look at the cooking method. Stuffing is stuffed (literally) inside the cavity of the turkey, while dressing is roasted in a separate casserole dish.
But for the Thanksgiving side dish in the South, the term dressing was adopted in place of stuffing, which was viewed as a crude term, during the Victorian era. Although dressing and stuffing are interchangeable terms, the signature ingredient of this Thanksgiving side dish in the South is cornbread.
Dressing is made with cornbread, and is baked in a pan instead of inside the bird. I view Stove Top stuffing as a totally distinct entity from this most beloved of holiday dishes. It is not the stuff of celebrations, but it is a perfectly suitable side dish the rest of the year.
Many American stuffings contain a starchy ingredient like bread or cereals, usually together with vegetables, ground meats, herbs and spices, and eggs. Middle Eastern vegetable stuffings may be based on seasoned rice, on minced meat, or a combination thereof. Other stuffings may contain only vegetables and herbs.
Dressing is more commonly used to refer to the dish in the South, while stuffing is the more frequently used term in the North, Southern Living reported.
material that is used to fill something: The stuffing was coming out of the mattress. Stuffing is also food, usually a mixture of bread, onions, and herbs, which is used as a filling for turkey or other meats or vegetables.
Go south of the Mason-Dixon Line and in the Midwest and many call it dressing, regardless of if it is prepared in the bird or alongside in a casserole dish. Likewise, northern or northeastern states and the west coast typically lean toward stuffing.
Some people stuff their. Others are dead set against stuffing the bird and opt for baking their stuffing in a baking dish, which means it's called dressing. Some do a combination of both. Some dressing is basic: a combination of dried bread, aromatics, and dried herbs.
Read directions on your favorite stuffing mix box. Add enough hot water to the broth to make up the required liquid needed. (Omit butter the recipe calls for as it was already used to saute vegetables.) Pour over stuffing/vegetables mixture and mix well.
"Stuffing is cooked in the cavity of the turkey, so the juices soak into the ingredients, making it more flavorful.Dressing gets cooked on its own and needs extra liquid to make it flavorful." So stuffing is cooked inside the bird. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish.
Broth: Chicken broth keeps the stuffing moist without making it soggy. Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture. Water: You can add a few tablespoons of water, if you'd like, to achieve your desired consistency.
Typically high in fat, carbs and salt, stuffing can be made fresh or purchased chilled, frozen or dehydrated. Traditionally, a stuffing would use the giblets of the bird with the addition of sausage meat, a source of starch, such as bread, with some aromatics such as onion, herbs and spices.
This classic Thanksgiving dressing, made with bread, celery, onions, apples, chestnuts, thyme and sage, is relatively simple to execute. It would do well at almost any time of the year as an accompaniment to roast chicken or pork.
Why is it called stuffing? The name stuffing is self-explanatory - traditionally it is a food used to stuff another food such as poultry before it is cooked. Stuffing can also be served as a side-dish but it will still be called stuffing.
Introduction: My name is Errol Quitzon, I am a fair, cute, fancy, clean, attractive, sparkling, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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