Stuffing is one of those unique linguistic treats that is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it refers to the physical stuff that is in a teddy bear or served as a Thanksgiving side. As a verb, it is the physical act of shoving the “stuff” into that bear’s or bird’s hole—or into your own face hole. Today we are going to focus on stuffing, the food.
What is stuffing?
The concept of stuffing has been around since ancient Roman times. But, in the context of Thanksgiving, stuffing is the bread-based, herb-laced mixture that is usually stuffed into the turkey and/or served as a side.
Stuffing has a symbiotic relationship with turkey. As it cooks, the herbs in the stuffing infuse into the bird, giving it a lot more flavor. The turkey, in turn, drips all its delicious juices into the stuffing as it cooks, moistening it and making it taste great.
There are some people (aka cowards) who say you shouldn’t cook your stuffing inside the bird, claiming it’s a salmonella risk. Sure, if you don’t do it right! Just make sure your stuffing reaches a temperature of 165 degrees and you should be fine. Stuffing cooked outside the bird is another thing altogether (more on that later).
What is stuffing made out of?
Stuffing is one of the most regionally variable Thanksgiving dishes, to the point where the recipe can be entirely different in every house on the block. There are, however, a few essentials that pop up in most stuffings.
The first and most obvious ingredient is the bread—any bread, really, but usually white bread. It helps if the bread is stale by a day or two. That allows it to stand up better to the added moisture.
Don’t want to make stuffing from scratch? We’ve got you covered with the best boxed stuffing for a super-easy side dish.
The bread is typically mixed with finely chopped onion and celery, salt and pepper, and herbs. The whole thing is given the Garfunkel treatment: parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Then a small amount of moisture is added, either chicken stock or melted butter, and it’s all shoved in the bird.
After those basic ingredients, feel free to riff. In the Field family, the secret ingredient is capers. Trust me, you’ll love it. But I’ve seen stuffing recipes that include things like, marjoram, sausage, bacon, walnuts, pineapple, pear, cheese, fennel, mushrooms, and even canned smoked oysters. No matter what is in there, stuffing must be served with a liberal amount of gravy. In fact, gravy should be poured on everything. Your Thanksgiving plate should look like the La Brea Tar Pits.
What’s the difference between stuffing and dressing?
Some people, generally those who live in the Southern states east of the Mississippi, call it dressing instead of stuffing. When I was growing up, my mom would make two dishes: stuffing, which came from the bird and all my normal family members ate, and dressing, which was cooked in its own dish for the few mutants in my family who preferred it that way.
If you ask me, dressing shouldn’t exist. It is categorically worse than stuffing in every single way, even though it is essentially the same thing. Dressing is the thing that goes on salads. Sorry for coming in so hot on this issue, but it burns me up!
This Thanksgiving, if you are from a dressing home, just start calling it stuffing to really stir the pot. At least you’ll get an argument going that isn’t based in politics.
The primary difference between stuffing and dressing is that stuffing is cooked inside a bird and dressing is made on the side. As with many food traditions in the U.S., regional loyalties to stuffing vs dressing abound.
"Stuffing is cooked in the cavity of the turkey, so the juices soak into the ingredients, making it more flavorful.Dressing gets cooked on its own and needs extra liquid to make it flavorful." So stuffing is cooked inside the bird. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish.
Stuffing, filling, or dressing is an edible mixture, often composed of herbs and a starch such as bread, used to fill a cavity in the preparation of another food item. Many foods may be stuffed, including poultry, seafood, and vegetables.
It it's to be put inside an animal, it's stuffing. If it's to be put inside a whole vegetable, it also will be called stuffing, but may be called filling in some circ*mstances.If it's to be put inside anything else, it's filling.
But for the Thanksgiving side dish in the South, the term dressing was adopted in place of stuffing, which was viewed as a crude term, during the Victorian era. Although dressing and stuffing are interchangeable terms, the signature ingredient of this Thanksgiving side dish in the South is cornbread.
material that is used to fill something: The stuffing was coming out of the mattress. Stuffing is also food, usually a mixture of bread, onions, and herbs, which is used as a filling for turkey or other meats or vegetables.
One funny thing about “stuffing” is that, in Texas, some people say “stuffing” and some people say “dressing.” Traditionally, it was called stuffing, because you stuffed the turkey with it. Other families don't like to stuff the turkey at all – and prepare it in a pan, calling it dressing.
Dressing is made with cornbread, and is baked in a pan instead of inside the bird. I view Stove Top stuffing as a totally distinct entity from this most beloved of holiday dishes. It is not the stuff of celebrations, but it is a perfectly suitable side dish the rest of the year.
Why is it called stuffing? The name stuffing is self-explanatory - traditionally it is a food used to stuff another food such as poultry before it is cooked. Stuffing can also be served as a side-dish but it will still be called stuffing.
Speaking of texture, that's what stuffing is all about--you want a mix of crispy and soft pieces. We recommend adding stock a little at a time--1/2 cup to 1 cup, depending on how much stuffing you're making--and waiting for the bread to absorb the liquid before adding more.
According to the History Channel, the term dressing originated around the 1850s, when the Victorians deemed stuffing too crude for the dish to be named. This happened around the same time that the term “dark meat” began to refer to poultry legs and thighs.
In Theodora Fitzgibbon's massive The Food of the Western World, stuffing is “The name given in England to combinations of a variety of foods which are inserted into meats, poultry, fish, eggs, or vegetables. In the United States, stuffing is also called dressing . . .” Onward.
Both dressing and stuffing are side dishes served at most Thanksgiving tables. It depends on the part of the country you are from as to what you call it. Those in the south use the term dressing interchangeably; whereas those in the northern states generally refer to the dish as stuffing.
Dressing is a Southern term for stuffing however it is not used to stuff a turkey. Unlike stuffing, dressing is made with cornbread and baked in a casserole dish. Stuffing is usually made with white bread or a baguette.
Stuffing should be moist, not dry, because heat destroys bacteria more rapidly in a moist environment. Once the bird is stuffed, it should be placed immediately in an oven set no lower than 325°F. Check out the cooking chart for recommended cooking times for stuffed turkey of various sizes.
Introduction: My name is Twana Towne Ret, I am a famous, talented, joyous, perfect, powerful, inquisitive, lovely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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