Home made sage and onion stuffing

[janetsflower]

Does anybody have a recipe for this please. I am having a "real" chicken tomorrow - by that i mean a fresh one thats still got feathers and guts etc and i am going to learn how to dress it and i don't think a packet of paxo would be quite right, i need to do it properly

[Pea Pod]

Chop a large onion and boil in enough water to cover.You need to make bread crumbs,if you havent got a processor rub your bread on the grater. It doesn`t have to be extra fine so dont worry about big lumps.2 to 3 teaspoons of dried sage,salt and pepper,knob of butter.When your onion is cooked mix all the rest in and top up with boiling water. I usually put mine in a dish in the oven. If you stuff the bird remember it will take longer for it to cook as the stuffing stops the heat getting to the cavity as quickly. The amount of bread depends how thick you want it,start with 4 slices.

[Clanad]

For a small turkey (say 10 pounds) we use 1/2 loaf of dry bread broken into pieces into which we dice 1 onion, 4 medium stalks of celery, 2 tablespoons sage, 2 tablespoons salt, and 2 (or more) tablespoons black pepper. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix with one can of Cream of Celery soup plus 1 one of that can full of water. Stuff bird and place any left over in a baking dish place in a 350 deg F oven until turkey cooked... we use an internal meat thermometer placed in the breast or thigh to 180 degrees F.... Adjust for the size of your chicken... probably about 1/2...

[BBWCHATT]

janetsflower my hat is off to you for attempting something like that!!! If I tried that, everyone would have their favorite pizza delivery phone number in their pocket when they came for dinner!!! :)

[BBWCHATT]

Janet - Do you have Pepperidge Farms Cubed Sage and Onion Stuffing in a bag there? If you use that and add the broth, etc. - recipe is on the bag - put it in a casserole or in the chicken and bake it - no one will ever know you didn't home make it!!! Now that is an old family recipe from my Mother:)

[janetsflower]

Thanks BBW, i will look out for that as I have never heard of it and thanks to the others too I am going to attempt the real thing too.

Doing the chicken was not nearly as bad as i had imagined especially with a pair of rubber gloves on to pull the bits out. My neighbour had got me really worried telling me i would either be sick or pass out at the smell and all the blood but none of it is true. yes its smells a little bit when you pull the intestines out and it bleeds a bit when you chop the head off but really not that bad, I am sure you could do it. Infact I have ordred phesant for next weekend and am looking forward to preparing it. Give it a go!!

[Bellringer]

A quick way with pheasant (and pigeon, partridge etc.) Just open up the breast & fillet it off. Saves the mess on & that is the only bit with meat on anyway.

[Androcles]

I think it is also easy to cheat by enhancing the packet stuffing if you don't have the time to do it properly. I often use a chopped onion, which I boil in a small quatity of water until softened and use the onion and water to make up the packet stuffing. We grow sage in the garden, so I get about half a dozen leaves and chop them and add it to the stuffing. I also often add the grated rind and juice of half a lemon, with a flat teaspoon of sugar, then microwave for a couple of minutes and leave to cool, before stuffing the bird.

I also often use just a five teaspoons of packet stuffing and cook it for two minutes in the microwave with some water and then use the mixure to stuff just one breast of chicken. Just cut into the underside of the breast with a sharp knife and fill it with the stuffing, before wrapping it in a rasher of bacon and high speed roasting it for 25 minutes in an oven at 210 degrees, if you want a really quick roast dinner!