Sage and Onions Stuffing (for Turkeys, Ducks and Geese)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Digital kitchen scale with tare function
• •Small rimmed roasting tray
• •10-inch (25 cm) heavy skillet
• •Clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth
• •1½-quart (1.4 L) shallow gratin dish
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Bake onions whole

   Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Set the unpeeled onions in a small roasting tray and bake for 55 to 70 minutes, turning once, until the skins are papery, the onions slump under gentle pressure, and a thin knife passes through each center without resistance. Let them stand for 10 minutes. If a center is still firm after peeling, chop the onion, cover it in the skillet with 2 tablespoons of the measured milk, and cook gently until completely soft; uncover and evaporate every trace of liquid before proceeding.

2. 2

   Weigh the onions

   Peel away the skins, trim the root ends, and finely chop the soft onions. Set a bowl on the scale, tare it, and weigh the onion. About 10½ ounces (300 g) is expected, but the actual number governs the farce: prepare exactly the same weight of soaked, pressed breadcrumbs and half that weight of chopped veal fat.

   The scale matters more than the count. Onions vary wildly in size and water content, while the 2:2:1 proportion keeps the finished farce moist without making it greasy.
3. 3

   Soak and press

   Cover the breadcrumbs with the remaining milk and leave them for 5 minutes, turning them once so every crumb softens. Gather the bread in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth and press firmly until it remains moist and cohesive but releases no milk when squeezed. Weigh out exactly as much pressed bread as cooked onion. If it drips or leaves milk beneath it, press it again. Ça se rattrape. If the portion weighs too little, soak and press another handful rather than guessing.

4. 4

   Fry with sage

   Reserve 1 teaspoon of the butter for the baking dish, if using one, and melt the remainder in a 10-inch (25 cm) skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, crumbled dried sage, and half the salt. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the surface moisture has gone, the onions gleam with butter, and a pale golden fond begins to form on the pan floor. Do not take them dark. If they catch too quickly, lower the heat and loosen the fond with a spoonful of the soaking milk.

5. 5

   Build the farce

   Take the skillet off the heat and fold in the measured pressed breadcrumbs, scraping the buttery fond through the mixture. Taste now, before the raw fat enters, and add the remaining salt only if needed. Spread the mixture on a tray and cool it for about 15 minutes, until no warmth remains. Fold in the chilled chopped veal fat without crushing or smearing it. The finished farce should hold a loose mound, with distinct pale pieces of fat throughout; if those pieces begin to soften, chill the mixture for 15 minutes before filling the bird.

6. 6

   Stuff or bake

   To cook the farce inside poultry, fill the neck and body cavities loosely, never more than three-quarters full, immediately before the bird goes into the oven. Roast according to the bird's method until the center of the farce reaches 165°F (74°C). If the poultry reaches its proper doneness first, spoon the farce into a shallow dish and finish it separately rather than drying the bird; ça se rattrape. For dressing served beside the roast, spread the farce in a buttered 1½-quart (1.4 L) gratin dish, cover tightly, and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the center reaches 165°F (74°C) and the edges are butter-gold and lightly bronzed.

   Never fill poultry in advance. A stuffed bird goes directly into a fully heated oven, and temperature is judged at the center of the farce, not merely in the surrounding meat.
7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Let separately baked dressing settle for 10 minutes before serving. For a stuffed bird, allow the roast to rest for 20 minutes, then spoon the farce into a warm serving dish so it doesn't remain hidden in the carcass. Serve generously beside turkey, duck, or goose, with its crisp edges and butter-soft center both on the spoon. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The source formula is governed by cooked weight, not by cups: onion and soaked, pressed bread are equal, then the veal fat is half the onion weight. C'est la même grammaire whether the onions yield 280 g or 340 g.
• •Firm, unrendered veal fat is the original ingredient, and a butcher can usually set it aside if asked in advance. If it truly cannot be found, use unsalted beef suet at the same weight; its flavor is more pronounced, but it preserves the solid fat pockets that melted butter cannot.
• •Use dried green sage, finely crumbled, not fresh sage. The source calls for only a pinch of the dried herb, enough to perfume the onion without turning the farce medicinal.
• •Plain day-old white bread is right here. Brioche brings eggs, sugar, and extra butter the formula never asked for, while commercial powder-fine crumbs make the farce dense.
• •The listed cooking time follows the separately baked dressing route. A filled bird requires its own roasting time, and both the poultry and the center of the farce must reach a safe temperature.

Advance Preparation

• •The onions may be baked, peeled, chopped, and chilled up to 2 days ahead. Weigh them after baking so the breadcrumb and veal-fat quantities can be matched precisely.
• •The farce may be assembled up to 1 day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Never store it inside raw poultry; fill the bird loosely only when the oven is hot and roasting can begin immediately.
• •Remove leftover farce from the poultry carcass within 2 hours of serving and refrigerate it separately in a shallow covered container.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 98g)