Best stuffing in the whole, entire world! I make it outside the bird
and call it dressing.

* Exported from MasterCook *

James Beard's Basic Bread Stuffing

Recipe By :James Beard
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Side Dishes Thanksgiving

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup butter -- (2 sticks)
1 cup finely chopped shallots, onions, or spring
onions
8 cups fresh bread crumbs -- with crusts
1 teaspoon dried tarragon -- moistened with ....
1 tablespoon white wine -- for one hour
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon salt -- or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Place the butter, shallots or onions in a saucepan, and allow the
butter to melt over low heat. Do not sauté the shallots. Combine with
the crumbs and other ingredients and toss lightly. Add more melted
butter if needed, and taste for seasoning. Stuff the bird lightly just
before roasting.

Herb Variations:

Instead of tarragon you can use any of the following herbs to taste.
(It is better not to mix herbs, except for the addition of parsley,
but mix if you must.)

1. About 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, soaked in a little white wine
for an hour.
2. Sage. Use with discretion, or it smothers all other flavors.
3. Summer savory. This has a delicious flavor for turkey and is less
known than most herbs.
4. Basil. The fresh is delicious and superb in the stuffing of a
spitted bird. If fresh is not available, use about 2 teaspoons of
dried basil, soaked in white wine beforehand.

Another way to give the flavor of fresh basil to your dressing is by
adding pesto, the Italian sauce normally used with pasta. Fortunately,
it freezes rather well, so pesto can be made when fresh basil is in
the market or in your herb garden and it is possible to have it with
your Thanksgiving or Christmas bird. Add about 3 tablespoons of pesto
or more to the basic bread stuffing.


Additives for Basic Bread Stuffing:

You will have to reduce the amount of crumbs, depending upon the
quantityof additive.

1. 1 1/2 to 2 cups coarsely broken cooked chestnuts (These may be
purchased in tins).
2. 1 cup or more toasted salted filberts.
3. 1 cup or more toasted unblanched almonds.
4. 1 cup or more salted pecan halves.
5. 1 1/2 to 2 cups toasted walnut halves.
6. 2 cups finely diced celery. This makes a delicious change in the
basic stuffing and is also good in goose.
7. 1 1/2 cups of finely diced fennel bulb. Omit any other herb save
parsley.
8. A head of finely shredded Boston lettuce. Added to the basic
stuffing at the last minute, this is surprisingly good. You may find
you need additional salt.
9. Giblets. Chop the gizzard and heart very fine; reserve the liver.
Sauté the gizzard and heart with the onions just enough to color them,
then mix with the rest of the ingredients. Use the liver in the sauce
later. Sauté it lightly in butter and chop exceedingly fine before
adding.

Makes enough for a 10-pound bird.

Cuisine:
"American"
Source:
"http://www.epicurious.com/"

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NOTES : The rule for figuring out the proper amount of stuffing is
easy to remember -- approximately 1 cup per pound of bird. This works
very well unless you want stuffing for only one meal, in which case
this quantity is excessive. So, starting from the maximum, reduce the
among of stuffing to suit your needs.