An age old question at this time of year is whether to put the stuffing inside or outside of the bird. There’s probably just as much controversy about the subject in the Jersey City/Hoboken area as there is throughout the rest of the country. We’ll explore the pros and cons and let the people decide.
Actually, I guess it’s usually the chef who decides in the greatest preponderance of cases. If your chef has had good experiences with stuffing the turkey, and the stuffing doesn’t have to feed too many people, then I guess your turkey will be stuffed. This is the classic way, and is usually what you see when you see pictures of a roasted turkey dinner.
There are some cooks, however, who are a bit leery of putting stuffing inside the bird. Many of them learned at an impressionable age about that dreaded thing called Botulism. They were shown that if the stuffing doesn’t reach the same internal temperature as the meat of the turkey, and botulism spores (which were killed by the heat in the meat) are absorbed, it could spell disaster for the whole family.
The people who choose not to stuff usually fill the turkey with other good things. Lots of butter gives a wonderful flavor, and salt and pepper inside and out is good, too. Then cut up a few onions and some celery and put them inside the cavity. Roasting bags keep the meat nice and moist. Those little red buttons that pop up are pretty reliable for telling when the turkey is done.
Of course, many people think turkey is just a companion for the stuffing, so they want way more stuffing than can fit inside the bird. Nothing will do but a separate (large!) pan of it. That’s a whole other subject – do you like wet, gooey stuffing or do you prefer it dryer and crispy on the edges? Maybe we’ll address that next year.
All kidding aside, it would be a good thing to read up on the safe handling of poultry, especially turkeys. Be sure you get things well done enough to make it safe eating.
Enjoy-And HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!
Eddie