Turkey and dressing, classic!

Hey, just remember, everyone coming to your home is there

because they love you, or are there because they're eating for free -

either way, it's supposed to be a day of great food, great conversaion,

great laughs, and great memories. Relax.

‘PULL OUT THE STOPS’
OINK DRESSING
serves six to ten

(THE ONE PAN FEAST)

I’ve made this dish on many occasions, always for a big group of hungry friends – Thanksgiving or Christmas, but I need to alter my habit of choosing turkey or dressing to being ‘acceptable’ at all times of the year. Turkey is an excellent source of protein, both economically and as freshness availability, so it is always a great option any time. This recipe hails from the inspiration of the magical oyster stuffing, but oh so much more.

Preheat oven to 350°

Tools: Have large mixing/salad bowl ready; bake this dish in a small turkey-sized roasting pan with cover or any equally sized roasting pan with aluminum foil as a cover (at least four to five inches deep); one large sauté pan

Ingredients:

Meats:
           1 package (about 10 oz) salt-pork, rind removed,
                     diced into ¼ to ½ inch bits
           1 pkg, 20 oz sweet Italian sausage, casings removed,
                     rolled into marble-size bits
           2-3 anchovy fillets or one tsp anchovy paste –
                     don’t freak, adds huge flavor and depth
           1½-2 pounds chicken/turkey parts, braised in a quart
                     of salted water; skinned, boned, broken up/
                     diced, placed in bowl.  About 2-3 cups of
                     broth should be left after boiling –
                     reserve broth, de-grease
           1– 1½ pounds individually frozen sea scallops, dry pack
                     is best (May be substituted by, or combined
                     with individually frozen prepared raw peeled shrimp,
                     oysters, clams, bay scallops  lobster bits etc.).

Vegetables:

            4-5 stalks celery (or celery heart) including tops,
                    diced into ½ inch to ¾ inch dice/slice

            2 large or 3 medium onions, diced same size

            1 large firm apple, like the granny smith type,
                    cored and diced to ½ to ¾ inch dice as
                    well (no need to peel)

            1 pound regular button mushrooms, sliced
                    ¼ to ½ inch thick

            1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced

            2-3 oz dried mushrooms: Shitake, porcini, wild etc,
                    steeped in reserved very hot chicken broth
                    (see above) 15 – 20 minutes, removed from
                    broth, sliced thinly (allow grit to fall to bottom
                    of bowl of broth. Reserve broth, pour carefully
                    off grit – or strain; let cool)

Liquid mixture: All together

     (everything but the broth and eggs is optional,
                 but these flavors are great when included
                 all or in part):

            2-3 cups reserved cooled poultry/veg/mush broth;
                    if more liquid is needed, add boxed broth
                    and/or water

       2 eggs, beaten into cooled broth just prior to adding
              to breads

            ¼ cup dry wine or dry sherry (not ‘cooking wine’ or
                    ‘cooking sherry’) or clam juice or broth

       1 can (7 oz) roasted poblano green chilies, diced,
              liquid included 

       2 cans 6 oz, pitted black and/or green olives, drained,
              coarsely chopped

       1 can artichoke hearts (or 9 oz frozen), drained,
              coarse chopped; if pickled, rinse well in
              warm water

       2 cans 8 oz sliced water chestnuts, including liquid

Breads and spices:

      1 loaf hearty nut bread like golden pecan, nutberry,
             poulso, hearth nut etc. – oven-dried
             (200º 30-45 min), broken into ¾ to 1-inch pieces
             or a quality, hearty bread and ½ cup fresh
             roasted chopped/slivered nuts

      1 package unseasoned prepared corn bread stuffing or
             one pan of the real thing
      2-3 tsp salt, carefully to taste. During vegetable cooking
             is best. (Remember, other salt base foods have
             been used)

      2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

      1 tbs dried Mexican oregano (it’s sweeter, if you can find it)
             or regular oregano

2 tsp dried sage (if you have fresh, add 1 tbs minced up,
             into mass as you’re adding the broth to the bread)

      1 tsp each thyme, rosemary and celery seed

            crushed potato chips or cornbread stuffing or
                   fried onions or shoe string potatoes or crumbled
                   saltines (you get the idea) for crisp topping

Preparation: Gently sauté salt pork cubes and marble-sized sausage bits first to release oils, until meats are browned and near done. Use slotted spoon to remove to the large bowl with the already broken up fowl pieces. Keep 1–2 tbs fat in pan (supplement with canola or peanut oil if necessary). Sauté anchovies first, mashing, then vegetables and salt and pepper (this seemingly large amount is the salt for most of the dish, the bread is not salted) and lastly the garlic in fat till tender and fillets are dissolved (about five minutes) – the vegetables will reduce some but still have ‘crunch’; add spices and fruit, and continue sautéing on medium heat at least 5 more minutes to bloom spices, tenderize apples, and lightly caramelize the veggies. Remove from pan, adding to growing bowl of ingredients and deglaze pan with ¼ cup wine, clam juice and/or broth. Remove from heat and add somewhat cooled deglazing liquid to the bowl of everything else. You’re done with the sauté/fry pan.

Fold bread pieces and corn bread prepared stuffing (or break up homemade) to meats and veggies together in bowl (be sure the bowl is large enough). Using a gloved or impeccably clean hand is easiest, folding a handful of bread into the mix at a time, loosening ingredients and well-integrating ingredients and textures at each addition.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs and add to the cooled liquid mixture and blend all well. Pour evenly onto all those wonderful things in the bowl, mixing one-third of the liquid at a time. It’s easiest to use hands to mix everything together -- a spoon is just frustrating. Allow the final mix to rest and soften. All breads should be moist but not soggy, so add more broth if necessary, but in small quantities at a time, folding in.

Depending on width and depth of roasting pan, the dish will be either two or three layers of stuffing. A narrow pan will dictate three layers; a wide pan will dictate two. So either add one-half or one-third of stuffing mixture to bottom loosely but carefully firm, don’t pack – then apply either all or half of individually frozen scallops/seafood in an even layer, then add another layer of stuffing, and if necessary repeat, till bottom and top of pan are stuffing, and frozen scallops/seafood are layered inside. Bake forty-five minutes to bring frozen seafood to proper heat, to finish the meats and to set the eggs. Do this cooking one-third of the time covered (to establish the heat overall); then uncover and add bread crumbs/crushed fried onions/crushed potato chips to top -- (since there are those purists who recommend cheese not be mixed with seafood, you can choose to add if you wish grated Parmesan, Asiago, pecorino, Cotija or a good dry cheese along with the crumbly ingredients – I love it!) – then the last two-thirds of the time uncovered to give the top a ‘bite’ of crunch – and until steam rises. Scallops and/or seafood will cook perfectly only if begun while frozen.

I’d advise against stuffing the interior of the bird itself. To bring the stuffing to a temperature high enough to sterilize the raw bird juices that have seeped into the stuffing in the cavity, the bird itself will have overcooked.

You gotta top it with the oink gravy. And plan a nap.

THE ROAST

The turkey is paper-bagged

Cooking the bird: The way my dad taught me. Yeah, Dad wasn’t much of a cook, but he did have some great suggestions about culinary things once in a while. He learned from a friend how to successfully roast a turkey fairly quickly and stress-free for that busy day (or any time) and passed it along to me. I’ve done this method dozens of times with success every time. No peeking, basting or fuss, and merely a small bit of prep. We’ll cook it in a paper bag.

Don’t pre-heat the oven. Rinse, dry very well the surfaces and cavities of the bird (don’t forget to remove the giblets and neck) – letting it come to room temperature (cold from the fridge is not a good idea) and to further dry off the surfaces – allow at least a half hour, but best an hour. Quarter cut up clean unpeeled onions, apples, citrus, carrots and whole garlic cloves and stuff fairly solidly inside the neck and rear cavities after salting and peppering inside and out (a perfect time to also sprinkle my ‘house spice blend’ -- equal parts of salt, paprika, powdered mustard and garlic powder). Trim excess skin and fat from the neck and rear areas if necessary. Truss the legs snugly against the body so that they cook at the same rate as the rest of the bird, and hold in the stuffing bits. Carefully olive oil or butter-smear the surface of the skin, and set on a low/broad ‘x’ fashion roasting rack or small wire rack like is used for cooling cookies – just to separate the bird from setting its heft directly on the cooking bag, it’ll glue.

Place turkey and rack (together) carefully inside a new brown paper grocery style bag large enough to comfortably handle the size of the bird and rack. Wash your hands. Puff air into the bag as much as it will expand away from the surfaces of the oiled skin, then carefully fold up the open end of the bag and paper clip or staple shut. It won’t catch fire, but don’t use greasy hands to handle the bag or fold the open end after inserting the bird.   Keep track of the number of clips or staples you've used, and carefully find and remove them as you un-bag the cooled bird.

Place this entire assembly inside a roasting pan, large casserole or disposable aluminum roasting pan. Place all in a cold oven and set the temperature for 500º. For a twelve to fifteen pound bird, one hour later lower that temperature to 400º , and an hour later lower again to 300º. An hour later, the bird has bag-roasted for 3-3½ hours; check the interior temperature with an instant read meat thermometer at the thickest part of the leg or thigh (slice the side of the bag toward the top to check, if the dark meat is done, then everything is done – dark meat takes longer to cook) to read at least 165º (170º-175º at the breast); or next best, examine the juices that run from the leg/thigh juncture when pierced to ensure that they are clear. The bird will be VERY juicy, and very done. (for a turkey edging on 15 to 18 pounds, just to be sure, add about 10 minutes each time segment – I’ve done this with a 20 lb bird and added 20 minutes to each segment)I’ve literally had the legs fall off after un-trussing, which is a pretty good sign it’s perfectly done and oh, so tender. The valuable juices for the dressing and gravy will be contained inside the bag, so slit under the bag carefully over containment and drain the liquids first. Unwrap the bird, gently lifting any stuck paper from the skin. Then be sure to let turkey rest under an aluminum foil ‘tent’ for at least a half hour before handling and/or carving in the style you prefer. Only about four hours of minor attention, and you have it, from fridge to table. It will be golden mahogany, beautiful – and no trouble for such a perfect finish. Golden.