# Stuffing for chicken (and cooking it in general)



## Jeni78 (Dec 14, 2008)

Hi all - I'm looking for a stuffing recipe for chicken.  I'm about to cook the first whole chicken I have ever cooked.  Going to bake it.

Here's my rub:

1 tsp each of:
black pepper
lemon pepper
cayenne pepper
chili powder
dry mustard
brown sugar

1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch of cinnamon and salt

It's a 3.88 lb fresh chicken (not frozen).  Going to bake at 400 degrees for about 1.5 hours.

I read I'm supposed to remove the giblets but don't know what they are.  Anything else?  Would like to stuff it, have some wheat bread, onions, cranberries, garlic...I don't know!  

Thanks so much!


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## VeraBlue (Dec 14, 2008)

Sauté a bit of onion, celery and mushroom in some butter till soft and transparent.  Add that to some cubed dried bread.  Toss in your cranberries and a bit of chicken stock.  Season with parsley, thyme, rosemary and sage.  Stuff the cavity after you remove any body parts that my be hiding in there.  

400 is a bit high.  I'd do 350.


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## QSis (Dec 14, 2008)

Here's a basic recipe.  You can adjust to what you have.

I would probably cut this recipe in half to stuff a roaster.  And just use chicken stock, till the stuffing is moistened.

Lee

P.S.  The giblets are the organs and neck of the chicken, and usually come in a bag that's stuffed in the bird's cavity when you buy it.  TAKE THEM OUT.

Poultry Stuffing

Ingredients:
3/4 c Butter
1 c Celery
1 c Onion
1 c Chicken stock
1 c Turkey gravy or stock
1 ts Sage
1 ts Thyme
1 ts poultry seasoning
1/2 ts garlic powder
1/4 c Parsley flakes
1 ts Salt
Pepper
Bread cubes


Directions:
Melt butter in a pan and saute onion and celery until cooked. Cube a loaf of day old bread and dry it, or use commercial bread or cornbread cubes and place in a large bowl. Toss vegetables and butter with the bread. Drizzle stock and gravy over the mixture to moisten it. Add seasonings, herbs and parsley Add more chicken stock and gravy until the mixture is sufficiently moist.. Taste and adjust seasoning. Many people add cooked breakfast sausage, chestnuts, pecans, cranberries or oysters for more flavor. Divide mixture into 2 casseroles and bake at 350 for 45 minutes, covered.


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## kitchenelf (Dec 14, 2008)

QSis said:


> TAKE THEM OUT.



But things will still turn out just fine if you can't quite locate them...or so I've heard!


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## GotGarlic (Dec 14, 2008)

Some people like to make chicken stock for gravy with the giblets. We cook them in a pan, let cool completely, and give them to our dog and cat.


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## bullseye (Dec 14, 2008)

My basic stuffing is like VB's (though she got the herbs out of order <G>).  I usually use more onion than celery and sometimes add fine diced carrot.  Cranberries are a good addition; sausage is also good, especially with the mushrooms.


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## kitchenelf (Dec 14, 2008)

bullseye said:


> (though she got the herbs out of order <G>).



In terms of syncopation - it still works


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## bullseye (Dec 14, 2008)

kitchenelf said:


> In terms of syncopation - it still works



Good point!  But just because it's metrically correct...


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## Jeni78 (Dec 14, 2008)

Well that turned out pretty well.  I put it in at 400 degrees for one hour in a dutch oven and then turned it down to 350 uncovered for the last half hour.

The stuffing was pretty mushy (I didn't end up using your recipe QSis - only because I ran out of time...will try it next time).  

I had a bag of herbed stuffing and added onions, pecan peices, apples and the left over rub.  I used chicken stock and sauteed the onions, pecan peices and apples then added the stuffing and soaked it.

I was going to use cranberries but I found a couple of apples in the fridge that needed to be used.

So, is the stuffing supposed to turn out so mushy?  Can you put the stuffing in the bird without soaking it first?  

Does/has anyone done stuffing without bread?

Thanks so much everyone!  While I was preparing the chicken, I was thinking to myself 'why would anyone want to do this when you can just buy deboned chicken breasts?'  Well, I got my answer, a much more flavorful, moist chicken.  What a difference!


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## kitchenelf (Dec 14, 2008)

What do you mean by "soaking it"?  Stuffing is moist.  Depending on how much chicken stock you use will depend on how moist it is.  This sogginess is why some people opt to put their stuffing in a pie plate and bake.  It gets crunchy/crispy on top and screams to be covered with gravy! 

Glad the chicken turned out so moist!  1 1/2 hours seems like a VERY long time to cook such a small bird though.  Maybe because it was stuffed it had to be cooked that long though.


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## Jeni78 (Dec 14, 2008)

I got the instruction for that length somewhere on the internet.  It turned out okay...but is there a general rule for cooking whole poultry in regards to weight-time-temp?

I think the pie plate stuffing is the way I've always had it.  Does the stuffing do anything to season the bird?

What about cooking the stuffing seperately but then adding things like lemon wedges, garlic cloves, rosemary and what-have-you (things you don't plan to eat but will season the bird more).  Do people do that too?


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## kitchenelf (Dec 14, 2008)

The stuffing doesn't season the bird, but, the bird seasons the stuffing!

If you google poultry cooking chart I think you'll find your answer for cooking times.

I like to stuff my chicken with rosemary, thyme, apple halves and dry sherry - it makes the most wonderful gravy!  If you don't want to use dry sherry you can certainly use apple juice!  You can also shove some chunks of butter under the skin and place some herbs carefully under the skin, as well as thinly sliced oranges.  Once cooked the herbs show up for a beautiful presentation!


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## Jeni78 (Dec 14, 2008)

> I like to stuff my chicken with rosemary, thyme, apple halves and dry sherry - it makes the most wonderful gravy!


 
Okay - how do you get gravy out of that?

Can you tell I am SUPER new to cooking!!!


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## kitchenelf (Dec 14, 2008)

You remove your chicken to a serving platter/cutting board and tent (place a piece of aluminum foil lightly over it.  By allowing the chicken to "rest" you are allowing the juices to seep back into the chicken and not spill out.  If you cut the chicken too quickly the juices spill out leaving the meat a bit dry.

OK - now to the gravy...

Remove the chicken and place the pan on the stove.  If any apple or herbs have fallen out remove them too.  Turn stove to medium/medium-high. You want maybe 1/4 cup of the liquid in the pan (remove the rest but save, just in case).  Now, to that 1/4 cup of liquid add about the same amount of flour. Whisk this to make a roux (pronounced rew, like flew).  Keep whisking often for at least 3 minutes.  You want to cook out the raw flour taste.  Once 3 minutes has passed you can always cook a bit longer to give the roux some color.  Once it has turned a bit browner you want to constantly whisk while you pour in some chicken broth.  I will also add a bit of milk if I want a thicker gravy.  This will all start to thicken quickly so you have to whisk quickly so you don't end up with clumps of flour, which in turn will create dumplings!   Just whisk fast!

Once you have the consistency you want you have gravy!  Just know that if the gravy seems a bit thin it will thicken as it cools.  Salt, pepper, some poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, and a bit of rosemary can always be added - - - but, your gravy will probably only require a bit of salt and pepper.


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## Jeni78 (Dec 14, 2008)

Thank you so much...that is so cool!  I always wondered how people made gravy from meat.  I supposed the same goes for sausage gravy too...


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## kitchenelf (Dec 14, 2008)

Jeni78 said:


> Thank you so much...that is so cool!  I always wondered how people made gravy from meat.  I supposed the same goes for sausage gravy too...



Except for sausage gravy you want to use nothing but milk!!!!!  Sage is imperative too...just not too much.  If your sausage has plenty of sage seasoning already you may not need more.  You do plan to serve this sausage gravy over big, fat biscuits?????  I hope so! 

You can also make a simple milk gravy if no meat/chicken drippings are available.  Simply melt some butter and then add the same amount of flour.  I like to brown my butter so it colors and flavors the gravy.  Once I add the flour and I get it the color I want I add milk.  Once thick enough I make some toast, top the toast with an over easy egg, top with milk gravy, and eat the most perfect winter supper!


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## Jeni78 (Dec 14, 2008)

Perfect timing for comfort food 101 - MN is having a blistry cold snap right now.

Not on the diet but I'll have to try it anyway...

Thanks!


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