Age old debate - Turkey and Stuffing/Dressing

[Raptured]

I actually saw a reel yesterday on Facebook that had a guy doing a butter-wrapped turkey.

You make a seasoned butter (like, 4 sticks + Sage, Rosemary, Thyme (fresh and finely chopped), S&P, Onion/Garlic powder.   Once melted you soak a cheesecloth in the mixture until saturated.   Cover the entire bird with that soaked cheesecloth and bake away, basting every 30 minutes with the remaining butter mixure.
The reviews I've read of that technique are highly positive.
Let's just hope the store isn't out of herbs and cheesecloth (yeah, I know it's late)

[sprocketuk]

I prefer stuffing balls rather than stuffing inside the bird.

As for the bird, I prefer goose, it doesnt get as dry as turkey does.

[schuyler]

Simple Bread & Sage recipe
Cubed white bread, onion, celery, sage, butter, celery seed, poultry seasoning, S&P, broth to reach desired consistancy (I prefer mine soft and a little spongy.  Definately not crusty)

Home made corn bread in place of white bread and that's pretty much my stuffing recipe.

[CCoburn]

My girlfriend is preparing Thanksgiving dinner this year. I don't recall the specifics of the entire itemized list, but it's a lot. She got one of those boneless Butterball turkey halves this year – this is a first.

These days I prefer the stuffing cooked outside the bird, but I won't go into the reasons why. I like the stuffing a little moist but still crumbly and airy which is why we fluff it with a fork and try to avoid heading down the molded, brick-like masonry, or a little too watery waterways.

I notice that she quite often does pretty well when referencing Pinterest as opposed to TikTok et al.

[putnam6]

Home made corn bread in place of white bread and that's pretty much my stuffing recipe.

Yep,

except must be a southern thang, we use biscuits instead of bread when trying to duplicate Grandmother's DRESSING in which hers had extra chicken broth/turkeybroth salt pepper butter garlic powder eggs onions celery, and sage galore and was cooked in a banking pan a lot like a thin souffle, let the bottom and edges get golden brown comes out light and moist about an inch thick.
My Sis does an almost perfect facsimile, but it takes the right mix of sage celery onion butter poultry seasoning that melds together 

It doesn't stick in your throat like most stuffings do, tastes great by itself excellent with gravy and cranberry sauce.

like this minus the red peppers but this consistency, it's so good by itself and it goes great on a day after Turkey Day leftovers sandwich 

My Grandmother Ruth did almost the exact opposite hers was like stuffing so less like a souffle and she cooked hers with whole chicken which gave it an extra layer of flavor it was much denser a scoop of this and a piece of chicken and a biscuit was a meal by itself with her top tier green beans  been 16 years since we had her Thanksgiving dinner it was very memorable we were so lucky to have grandmothers that could cook 



Speaking of cranberry sauce there an excellent homemade version with orange zest that blows away the canned or jarred stuff

[Raptured]

Well my "experiment" turned out to be FANTASTIC and will totally be the way I do birds for now on

Melted 4 sticks of butter and added some finely diced Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.  Also added some Garlic Power, Onion Powder, Poultry seasoning, S&P.   Soaked the cheesecloths (cut them in half) and covered the bird.   Baked as usual, basting every 30-45 minutes.  No adjustments needed on temp etc.

I also added a little chicken broth to the basting liquid to thin it out a tiny bit.  I did ths after adding more butter a couple of times.  It sure uses a lot

The breast meat was the most juicy and succculent I've ever had.   Not a bit of dryness, anywhere.
The only adjustment I'll make probably is to get another package of cheesecloth and use 2 to cover it.  It seemed a bit thin.

Hope everybody had a great turkey-day

[Oldcarpy2]

We don't have Turkey at Christmas anymore but when I did I'd do the stuffing separately in a small loaf tin.

Knobs of butter, streaky bacon on top and in the oven.

That way goes nice and crispy on top.

Lobster this Christmas ?

[Oldcarpy2]

Top tip - roast the bird upside down with butter under the skin and turn over halfway through. Stuff inside with halved oranges.

[UltraBudgie]

Top tip - roast the bird upside down with butter under the skin and turn over halfway through. Stuff inside with halved oranges.

This thread has taken a disturbing turn.

I mean, sounds delicious.

[sahgwa]

Best dressing and stuffing I ever had was Gordon Ramsay's turkey idea (we have made it twice, it is amazing) :
https://www.gordonramsay.com/gr/recipes/...ystuffing/

The dressing is very unique in that it was very runny, it was a lot of (hard) cider and really went well with the turkey
https://www.gordonramsay.com/gr/recipes/...nd-walnuts


This year we didn't do a turkey, we actually did Guinea Hen for the first time.
It was amazing!
I love turkey but i think this was even tastier!
Gamier, juicer.