How to make a good stuffing?

Spirogyra

Have tried brown-bread, butter, salt, pepper, herbs, was ok but not great, how can make it better? I'm a vegetarian but still like a good stuffing.

fred funk }{

What I do is soften a finely chopped onion in some butter, add the bread crumbs, tyme, parsley, salt and black pepper. In our house we love some crushed peanuts in it too.

We always make a few stuffed ham rolls by getting sliced ham from a packet and stuff it with the stuffing. Bake the whole lot in the oven until nice and brown.

jacko

Try adding in raisins, chopped up dried apricots

Shenshen

Spirogyra wrote: »

Have tried brown-bread, butter, salt, pepper, herbs, was ok but not great, how can make it better? I'm a vegetarian but still like a good stuffing.

Depends a bit... what are you having it with?

Dizzyblonde

I like to add chopped mushrooms to mine sometimes. You can't be mean with the herbs or it'll taste quite bland.

Toulouse

I like to put the juice of a lemon and lemon zest in mine in addition to wholemeal breadcrumbs, softened onion, LOTS of mixed herbs or thyme and oregano if I haven't got any others, salt, pepper and butter.

You can also add dried cranberries instead of the lemon, that is a lush stuffing!

duploelabs

Chopped pistachio, sage, and diced dried apricot

Semele

Lots of onions, half brown/half white breadcrumbs, loads of fresh parsley, obscene amounts of butter and/or olive oil (oil gives a nice texture, butter has the taste factor though!) and more salt and pepper than you think. Fry it all for ages, then use it to stuff the turkey or to make stuffing balls, thereby double cooking it. Best part of Christmas in our house!

My old school used to add grated carrots, which were surprisingly nice and gave it a bit of crunch.

lonestargirl

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/main-ingredient/poultry-and-game/chicken/roast-chicken-with-grape-and-herb-stuffing.html

Best stuffing ever, the grapes keep it really moist

lazeedaisy

fred funk }{ wrote: »

What I do is soften a finely chopped onion in some butter, add the bread crumbs, tyme, parsley, salt and black pepper. .

The only way to cook it

irish_goat

Semele wrote: »

Lots of onions, half brown/half white breadcrumbs, loads of fresh parsley, obscene amounts of butter and/or olive oil (oil gives a nice texture, butter has the taste factor though!) and more salt and pepper than you think. Fry it all for ages, then use it to stuff the turkey or to make stuffing balls, thereby double cooking it. Best part of Christmas in our house!

I do something similar and then reduce some cider in the mix so that after it's been through the oven it's not bone dry.

Mrs Fox

Must have fresh sage. You just have to.

twerg_85

Ingredients:
2 slices brown bread, blitzed into crumbs
2 jumbo sausages, skin removed
4 dried apricots,chopped
A handful of dried cranberries, chopped
Knob of melted butter
Dried shallots (just because I had them and I was too lazy to soften up some onions/shallots in a pan)

To taste:
Salt
Pepper
Fresh sage (dried if you don't have fresh)
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
Ground Allspice - about half a teaspoon. This gives it a really nice 'white pudding' taste.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, making sure they're thoroughly combined. Divide the mixture into balls, push into a mini-muffin tray and cook at 180 for about 25 minutes.

I've also done stuffing in a bread tin before - some streaky bacon draped across the top helps keep it moist.

F.

Mrs Fox

twerg_85 wrote: »

Ingredients:
2 slices brown bread, blitzed into crumbs
2 jumbo sausages, skin removed
4 dried apricots,chopped
A handful of dried cranberries, chopped
Knob of melted butter
Dried shallots (just because I had them and I was too lazy to soften up some onions/shallots in a pan)

To taste:
Salt
Pepper
Fresh sage (dried if you don't have fresh)
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
Ground Allspice - about half a teaspoon. This gives it a really nice 'white pudding' taste.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, making sure they're thoroughly combined. Divide the mixture into balls, push into a mini-muffin tray and cook at 180 for about 25 minutes.

I've also done stuffing in a bread tin before - some streaky bacon draped across the top helps keep it moist.

F.

That's a lovely recipe, but OP is vegetarian

Minder

Good breadcrumbs, ciabatta or sourdough - something that will not turn to dust.
Finely chopped onion cooked in loads of butter until soft and golden.
Plenty of finely sliced fresh sage, a little parsley and a little thyme.
Salt, pepper and the rind of a lemon taken using a microplane grater.
The buttery onions should be enough to coat the breadcrumbs and herbs in the oily deliciousness.

If I was vegetarian and not cramming the stuffing into the cavity of a bird, I think i might try cooking the stuffing en papillote - i.e. in a greased parcel sealed up tight and cooked in the oven. The idea being that the steam from the stuffing cooks it, like it would inside the bird.

Lovely Bloke

Spirogyra wrote: »

I'm a vegetarian but still like a good stuffing.

Same as my wife.