STUFF that Turkey!
Just a note- perhaps even a rant- from a Former Health Inspector and survivor of more than half a century of STUFFED bird dinners: What's up with folks who don't cook stuffing in the bird??? L...
Forum Discussion
My entire family is from the south and, on all sides as far back as anyone can remember, our birds have been stuffed. Freshly made stuffing , i.e. assembled immediately before stuffing is put into both cavities of the bird and roasted. There is always too much, (I make a double recipe of cornbread, plus use biscuits or toasted wheat bread) so there is also a casserole of dressing as well as that which was cooked in the turkey. I must say, the stuffing from inside the turkey goes first, as the flavor is great and is everyone's favorite in our family. No one has ever gotten sick, I've quizzed every older family member and they all say the same thing, no one has ever gotten sick from eating a properly stuffed and roasted turkey. My grandmother died in '09 at 103 yrs. of age and not from food poisoning or dementia, she thought the country had gone bonkers when I told her about the hoopla over food poisoning and stuffed turkeys. Said she had never eaten one that wasn't stuffed and that was common even when refrigeration wasn't what it is today. Roasted and stuffed turkey has always been our Christmas dinner as well as our Thanksgiving dinner. Having said all this, I will say, I think that turkeys can dry out some as it does take longer for them to roast when stuffed. Brining takes care of that problem. Don't be afraid to try stuffing a turkey if you think you might like it. I make the cornbread three to 4 days before assembling, let the breads dry, then sauté the celery and green onions the day before. I have already made turkey stock and frozen it. That will be defrosted, added to the cornbread, along with the seasonings, vegetables, and whisked eggs, immediately before stuffing, usually around 6:30 am, ugh!!! That mixture goes into the cold turkey and straight into the oven at 325 degrees. The stuffing comes out when the bird has cooled for 15 to 30 minutes, just prior to serving, no problem in 60 plus years! The casserole dressing is baked in the bottom oven for about an hour, along with the other sides.
