
DATE: Wednesday, November 19, 1997          TAG: 9711180046
SECTION: FLAVOR                  PAGE: F1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY BETTY DOUGLASS, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   86 lines

KNOW YOUR STUFF NO MATTER WHICH INGREDIENTS YOU PREFER, DRESSING IS A HOLIDAY STAPLE

STUFFING THE THANKSGIVING bird seems to be a personal thing. The recipe often doesn't change from year to year. The old family favorite will usually take center stage no matter what's in style or what the health-conscious are eating.

But for those tired of the same drab dressing, check out this tip from James Beard's ``Theory and Practice of Good Cooking'' (Alfred A. Knopf, 1981), ``. . . A simple bread stuffing is my favorite, perhaps with a separate meat stuffing of well-seasoned sausage meat and ground veal, for the neck cavity.''

In other words, try a duo of dressings. Incidentally, two stuffings in the separate cavities of the same bird is also a Christmas tradition in Brazil but back to the stuffing.

Stuffing (or dressing, if you prefer) was originally called forcemeat, says Tim Cameron, a food-history buff and culinary instructor at Johnson & Wales University in Norfolk. Forcemeat, because the stuffing was originally used to ``force'' the bird, meat or vegetable being cooked into a nice shape.

With today's farming and cooking methods, you don't have to worry about the turkey keeping its shape - and food-safety experts suggest you cook the stuffing in a casserole instead of the bird - sostuffing has become just another tasty part of the meal.

Although not for safety reasons, Beard also considered stuffing cooked in a casserole superior to that in the bird.

``It gets nice and crispy, not soggy,'' Beard wrote, ``and is altogether much more satisfactory and easier to serve.

``Baste it, as it bakes, with juices from the roasting pan and it will be delicious.

``So if you are a traditionalist, roast your turkey with stuffing inside, but bake some of the bread stuffing separately and you will see what I mean. Leftover stuffing is no problem. Just saute it in butter.''

Now, back to that thing about double stuffing the bird: There seem to be as many ways to make stuffing as there are people to cook turkeys. And, as far as ingredients go, there are no rules but there are four essential parts, say Julee Russo and Sheila Lukins in ``The New Basics'' (Workman, 1989):

The body of the stuffing is the base, usually made with bread, rice or even potatoes.

Then there are ingredients that add flavor and texture to the stuffing such as cranberries, sausage, aromatic vegetables and nuts. For stuffing without ``raw'' flavor, saute onions, shallots or garlic lightly before adding to other ingredients. If using sausage, hamburger or other ground meat, saute the meat until it loses its raw color before mixing stuffing.

Fats, like butter, margarine or cream and brandy, juice or broth moisten the mixture and, finally, different herbs are used for seasoning.

Sage has been the traditional seasoning for decades, but you may want to try others such as rosemary, thyme, marjoram or winter savory.

Sometimes, eggs are used to bind the stuffing but, because of food-borne illnesses, this is not recommended if you make your stuffing in advance.

No matter how many stuffings, or what type, you plan to cook, only stuff the bird just before cooking. Never stuff and refrigerate, or you risk spoiling not only the food but the holiday as well.

Another rule to remember is that all stuffing expands during cooking and the poultry may if the stuffing doesn't have room to expand. Allow 1/2 to 3/4 cup of stuffing for each pound of poultry and bake any excess separately.

And remember, stuffing is good for more than turkeys and chickens. Fish, pork and even beef can benefit from a few extra ingredients now and then.

This year, you can have your family favorite this Thanksgiving and one of these. MEMO: Betty Douglass is a free-lance food writer and home economist in

Portsmouth. All recipes in this article have been kitchen-tested by the

author. ILLUSTRATION: VICKI CRONIS COLOR PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS/The

Virginian-Pilot

Lemon...

Chestnut...

Mushroom...

Pistachio...

Photo

VICKI CRONIS/The Virginian-Pilot

Cranberries, along with sausage, aromatic vegetables and nuts, add

flavor and texture to stuffing.