The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook - Martha Stewart Living Magazine [239]
FRUIT, NUTS, AND MORE
Try fresh apples, pears, or oranges; or dried fruit, such as apricots, raisins, or cranberries. Pine nuts, walnuts, and hazelnuts add heft, as do reconstituted dried mushrooms.
Parmesan cheese imparts richness and bite. Suggestions: nuts, dried mushrooms, fresh fruit, dried fruit, and cheese.
BINDERS
The most important ingredient of stuffing may be the binder, for it keeps all the other elements in place. For a fluffy texture, use eggs. Less conventional possibilities include fruit juice (such as apple or orange) and alcohol (wine or liqueur). Suggestions: fruit juice, red or white wine, stock, maple syrup, eggs, and butter.
STUFFING TIPS
• Use ½ to ¾ cup stuffing for each pound of turkey.
• Don’t pack the stuffing tightly; it expands as it cooks.
• Use a thermometer to ensure the stuffing reaches 165°F.
• Remove the stuffing as soon as the turkey comes out of the oven.
• Bake any extra stuffing in a buttered covered baking dish at 375°F until it is heated through and the top is golden, 30 to 40 minutes.
wild rice and corn stuffing
SERVES 8; MAKES ABOUT 7 CUPS (ENOUGH FOR ONE 18-POUND TURKEY)
2 cups wild rice
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons corn or vegetable oil
2 small red onions, cut into thin rounds
3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)
2 fresh serrano or jalapeño chiles, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1. Bring 5 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; add the rice and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover; reduce heat. Cook the rice until al dente, 35 to 40 minutes (not all the water will be absorbed). Drain well.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onions and garlic; cook, stirring, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the chiles; cook 30 seconds.
3. Stir the onion mixture, corn, pepper, and lime juice into the rice; season with salt. Serve, or immediately pack loosely in a turkey cavity, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the stuffing registers 165°F.
savory twice-baked sweet potatoes
SERVES 6
For a less formal but equally appealing presentation, you can spoon rather than pipe the filling into the shells.
3 medium sweet potatoes (1½ to 2 pounds), scrubbed well
4 ounces smoked bacon, sliced
2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 small shallots, finely minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish
1 large egg
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, finely grated, plus more for garnish
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet; bake until tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven; let cool slightly.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil; fit with a wire rack. Arrange the bacon strips on the rack, and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Cook until well glazed and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven; let cool slightly, and roughly chop. Set aside.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots; sauté until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the rosemary, and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat, and set aside.
4. Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the flesh, leaving about a ¼-inch border all around the potato halves; set the halves aside on a baking sheet.
5. Place the flesh in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the reserved shallot mixture, egg, cream, and Gruyère. Mix well until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip; pipe