Mom always stuffed the bird, so I do too. She did, however, take a few precautions. She squeezed an orange into the cavity, and the rest on the turkey, and always told me never to stuff it until the last minute. No one died. At least not from stuffing. She made a very Italian stuffing that she got from the Mamma Leone's cookbook--with sweet sausage, rye bread (yes rye), celery, onions, grated cheese, lots of great spices, and a shot of whiskey at the end. I do a variation of hers--I add some sourdough. This year I'm going to add cornbread and apples,though she might turn over in her grave. She also poured a stick of melted butter (though she used, gasp, margarine) over the bird before she put it in the oven. And about halfway through, she nailed a link of Italian sausage on top--it made the skin such a gorgeous color and added great flavor.
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Ah, margarine, the misguided cynosure of thinness for so many of our mothers. It's in lots of the heirloom recipes we get, and it seems disrespectful to update it.
The squeeze of orange is brilliant. Also the whiskey.
So, now I want to know if your mom actually used a nail for the sausage? Surely a toothpick would not do?
haha, I mean one of those cooking nails. But they are just like real nails! And oh, Margarine. I remember she always used it in her Pizza Rustica crust and many cookie recipes. One year I tried to find it. And was rather pleased that I could not.