Easy Dressing

A great series, by an Eastern Shore 

Author also works as a freelance editor.

Thanksgiving Dressing

I learned in Food-Handling Class that the easiest way to give folks salmanella is to stuff the stuffing inside the bird. By the time it is cooked thoroughly, the bird will be completely dried out. It's MUCH healthier if cooked separately. 

Personally, I like to start with a stove top box mix of regular turkey or even chicken dressing and prepare it according to the directions, using the full amount of liquid that it calls for, but remembering that some will boil away while the liver is cooking, so it will be okay to add a little more liquid later.

To the boiling water (before adding the dressing mix): 

1. add, the turkey liver (remove when firm and chop finely).

4 tbsp of butter

1 bay leaf

 1/2 tsp of course ground black pepper

Place the dry stuffing in a covered 3 qt. casserole and add:

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of sage

4 tbsp of butter

The Finely Chopped cooked Turkey liver

1 very finely chopped (or grated) onion.

Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and mix well:

Add 1/2 cup white cooking wine (or chicken broth if you are a teetotaler) 

If the dressing seems a bit dry, add more wine.  If it's too wet, pop it in the oven (uncovered) for 10 minutes.

Cover with the casserole top until time to serve.  If it has  cooled, you can pop it in the microwave for a minute or two to warm it through. Just before serving: spoon 3 tbsp of the turkey  roasting pan dripping over the top.

I know that purists like to use all the giblets in the dressing, but I find most of them too "chewy" and after years of scraping remnants off plates and into the garbage, I have learned to leave them out. If I'm in a "purist" frame of mind, I grind them up in the blender and add them to the gravy.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone.