Take a second helping of Thanksgiving ideas from The New York Times Dining Section.
To Stuff or Dress the Bird? James Beard Had It Covered: The Minimalist says stuffing is best when cooked outside the turkey. With recipes for Bread Stuffing, Whole Grain Stuffing with Kale and Dried Fruit, Cornbread and Squash Stuffing and Rice and Nut Stuffing.
Heaven in a Pie Pan: The Perfect Crust: Melissa Clark introduced me to leaf lard in her search for the perfect fat for pie crust. She includes a nod to food bloggers in her story. That's something we don't see in the Gray Lady's food section too often. With a recipe for All Butter Pie Crust.
A Little Snap, to Take the Table Beyond Tan: Some crunch and spark for the Thanksgiving table. With recipes for: Braised Red Radishes, Stir-Fried Cabbage With Cumin Seeds, Hashed Brussels Sprouts With Lemon Zest, Wilted Chard With Pickled Red Onions, and String Beans With Ginger and Garlic
PLUS...
i'm sorry, but my family always makes enough stuffing for both inside AND outside the bird, and i always eat the inside the bird stuffing first... BECAUSE IT TASTES BETTER, and has never been too soggy.
i'm guessing he (or perhaps his family) has always just done it wrong.
i have to agree with jen. no soggy stuffing issues in my family. i guess i always thought that the only reason for anyone to cook the stuffing outside the turkey was because an overzealous cook had made to much to fit in the turkey and i always felt sorry for those people who chose the dressing when the stuffing was steaming right next to it.
My family always does stuffing in the bird and it is absolutely perfect and I have had both--it seems like if you use egg and the stuffing sticks together, it would never be too soggy!
So interesting. After a couple of my stuffings turned into greasy blobs, I swtiched over to cooking it outside of the bird. I wonder what role the type of turkey plays in this . . .
I don't know what goes into my grandma's stuffing, besides the delicious giblets, but I am the type who thinks that good stuffing is really the only reason to have turkey in the first place.
I get so sad when someone makes it outside the turkey - that's fine every other day of the year, but if we have to have turkey then use it! I do also love Judy Rodgers' famous bread salad from Zuni - that would make a great dressing, especially if you're passing up turkey in favor of chicken or Cornish hens.