turkey talk

Down here in the south, my MIL uses hard boiled eggs in the stuffing made with cornbread and in the giblet gravy.  Tastes good.  Strange concept but is very interesting.

Maybe it's b/c the English actually let their turkeys act like real turkeys?  The whole free-range thing allows them to build their muslces and I think that's where the tougher meat comes from.    ??  

I noticed this as well.  I can't say that I noticed a particular difference in flavor, but the meat was certainly more chewy.

My dressing turned out excellent.  I've been making the dressing for my family for the last eight or nine years with bread, cornbread, stock, onion, celery, apple, herbs, and seasoning.  I don't need eggs to bind it because that's what the gravy is for when it's served 

I cooked a chicken last night with Nigella's method.  It worked really well!  The breast meat was so juicy, I'll be doing my birds that way from now on.

Reading back through all of these is making me hungry!!

My dressing turned out excellent.  I've been making the dressing for my family for the last eight or nine years with bread, cornbread, stock, onion, celery, apple, herbs, and seasoning.  I don't need eggs to bind it because that's what the gravy is for when it's served 

Apples in the dressing sounds yummy!  Do share your recipe!!

Reading back through all of these is making me hungry!!

Apples in the dressing sounds yummy!  Do share your recipe!!

There's not much different to other stuffing recipes.  All I do is add a chopped apple (preferrably something tart like a Granny Smith) to the onions and celery while they're sweating.  Using the tart apple adds a hint of sweetness, but not too much.  How fine I chop the apple varies on my mood, whether I want small chunks of apple (rough 1/4 to 1/2 inch dice) or just the flavor (when I'm lazy it's to the food processor).

okay... so i think i conquered my turkey fear.  the weapon of choice?  an instant read thermometer that has a probe... that attaches to a little reader that sticks to the outside of the oven door.  i set it for a certain temp and then it went bing bing bing when it was done.

took the turkey out and probed it all over.  so great & so easy!!!  well worth teh £20.