Posted by Bruce Bilmes and Sue Boyle
, November 28, 2009 15:13
The question was posed to Roadfooders: Thanksgiving Stuffing - Cook in the Bird or Out? The answer was decidedly in favor of stuffing the bird. There’s no doubt that putting the stuffing in the turkey results in a steamy, turkey-aromatic side dish that beautifully complements slices of white breast cosseted in homemade gravy. But, that gravy – it’s got to be homemade, and with all those liquids absorbed into the stuffing, you’re left with a paltry supply in the bottom of the pan.
And that’s what decides it for us, because we love good, homemade turkey gravy, and we want all the drippings we can corral for the deepest flavor. We do two other things to bolster the gravy: we roast the turkey at a relatively low 325 to prevent the drippings from burning, and we buy a supply of backs and/or necks and/or wings to cook up a pre-Thanksgiving brew to use in the gravy, and to douse the stuffing that’s cooked in a separate pan (we also like some crustiness), and to give us a head start on the post-holiday carcass soup.
If we’re hosting Thanksgiving, we will invite any of the 208 people who answered Either Way’s OK. Now those are our kind of guests!
