Much as I love it, the only time I ever see or eat stuffing — or, ahem, dressing — is at the Thanksgiving dinner table. For decades, the only stuffing I knew was made by my Aunt Jane, who hosted our family Thanksgiving from before I was born until […]
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Much as I love it, the only time I ever see or eat stuffing — or, ahem, dressing — is at the Thanksgiving dinner table. For decades, the only stuffing I knew was made by my Aunt Jane, who hosted our family Thanksgiving from before I was born until she moved into an assisted living facility soon after the turn of the century. Aunt Jane made a classic white bread stuffing — toothsome and chewy, almost but not quite soggy in some places and crunchy in others, rich with turkey flavor and heady with the aromas of celery and sage.
Andy Baraghani’s extra-oniony and celery stuffing reminds me of Aunt Jane’s and has a little extra oomph. It is more flavorful from the “extra” aromatics, and the crusty country bread gives it more textural range. Genevieve Ko’s country stuffing with lots of celery has a similar flavor profile and uses similar crusty, hearty bread, the key difference being that it is vegan. It has a buttery flavor that comes from nutritional yeast.
Not at all like bread stuffing is Christian Shaffer’s wild rice stuffing with butternut squash, toasted hazelnuts and pomegranate seeds. The contrasting textures of the rice, nuts and squash balance one another, and the red pomegranate arils and orange squash make for a beautiful presentation. Altogether, this is a dazzling alternative for people who are gluten-free.
Ray Garcia’s masa stuffing is something to behold and well worth the extra effort. Gnocchi-like dumplings made of masa, riced potatoes and roasted bone marrow are nestled into a bed of Swiss chard, roasted poblano chiles, and Oaxacan and Monterey Jack cheeses. A flavor and texture bomb, it is another gluten-free option — and a far cry from Aunt Jane’s bread stuffing.
Whichever option you choose, stuffing at the Thanksgiving table is an absolute must.
