For the Best Filling, Focus on Stock
Thanksgiving dinner isn’t complete without stuffing ( or dressing ). It’s a humble and somewhat silly dish. You dry some bread, wet it again, then dry it again, but the result is undeniably delicious—provided the broth you used is itself delicious. For the best filling, you should focus on the broth.
Although you can vary the filling and dressing with sausage, oysters and all kinds of onions, the broth is the only ingredient that permeates the entire dish. If your broth is bland, the filling (or dressing) will be bland. Luckily, making a delicious broth is easy, even if you start with a can of store-bought ingredients.
How to Maximize the Flavor of Homemade Broth
One of the easiest ways to enhance the flavor of homemade broth is to roast the bones to impart a deep, toasty flavor. It’s rare that anyone has a whole turkey carcass to work with on turkey day, but you can use the neck and spine (assuming you have a slapstick) and supplement them with a bunch of turkey wings that you can pick up at the store. meat counter.
You can also make a silky broth entirely from roasted turkey wings; they are filled with collagen. Fry the vegetables too: the more they brown, the more flavorful your broth will be. I rarely measure when making broth, but three pounds of wings along with two carrots, two onions, two stalks of celery and a whole head of garlic cloves works great. Toss the wings and vegetables with a little oil, season them with salt and bake in a 450 degree oven until everything is deep golden brown. (Remove the vegetables in front of the wings if they start to burn.) Transfer everything to the pan.
Then you need to add more salt, at least a teaspoon (but adjust to taste), and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to help draw out the collagen. I also like to add a teaspoon of peppercorns instead of ground pepper so that I can strain the pepper at the end. You can also make a small bouquet garni with a small handful of fresh parsley, five or so fresh sage leaves, a few sprigs of fresh thyme and one bay leaf. You can even add some marjoram if you’re so inclined. Tie the herbs together with a piece of twine and throw them into the pot. If you want to add some creamy, lactic umami, add Parmesan rind; If you want to add some earthy depth, add some dried mushrooms. You can also add a pinch or two of MSG for extra flavor.
Add enough water to cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer, uncovered, for about half an hour. If necessary, add more water to cover the vegetables, then close the lid and simmer for an hour. Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary, and cook for another hour if you think it’s needed. Remove from heat, let cool for at least half an hour, then strain through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth or a nut milk bag . Chill in the refrigerator until the fat has set, then skim any solidified fat from the top.
How to Improve Store-Bought Inventory
If you simply don’t have time to fry and simmer for hours, you can use several methods. For example, there is no law against adding any of the above to a few outsourced boxes of bouillon or broth. Vegetables, garlic, Parma peels, dried mushrooms and MSG are all at your disposal, even if you skip the turkey parts.
You can also use a small paste known as Better Than Broth, which comes in a variety of flavors, including turkey . Some call it “cheating”; I call it “living better through science.” It’s concentrated and flavorful, and there’s no shame in adding it to your arsenal.
There’s also no shame in adding a few seeds to your store-bought stock, especially if it’s low on collagen. A few turkey wings or even chicken wings will take care of that. Just throw them in there and cook for an hour. Strain as above and prepare to moisten some of the bread.