SV: SC - Dressing/stuffing OOP

[Brokk]

> >On this topic I heard something interesting on the Food channel the other
> >day.  According to one of their hosts, if you stuff the bird with bread
> >crumbs it can harbor bacteria and it absorbs the juice from the bird and
> can
> >cause it to dry out.  Any opinions (as if I need ask) about this?
> >
> >Murkial
> 
> As i understand it, the problem is stuffing the bird ahead of time 
> which gives the bacteria time to grow in the stuffing. I've always 
> heard that the bird should stay in the fridge while one makes the 
> stuffing, then the bird is stuffed just before putting it in the oven.
> 
> As for stuffed turkey drying out, well, i think that depends on how 
> you cook the bird, not because of the addition of stuffing. My mom's 
> turkey and stuffing were never dry, but, then, she used *major* 
> amounts of butter in the stuffing (and i think she "basted" the bird 
> with butter), so it didn't seem to be soaking the juice out of the 
> bird.
> 
> I've heard it recommended to cook the turkey breast down. The white 
> meat has less fat than the dark meat so it's naturally drier, and 
> cooking breast down keeps the juice from running down into the pan or 
> evaporating into the oven. At the same time, i've heard it 
> recommended to "tent" the turkey with aluminum foil while it cooks to 
> keep the moisture from evaporating and the legs and thighs from 
> cooking too fast. When the turkey is not too far from done, you turn 
> the breast up and remove the foil, cooking long enough for the skin 
> to brown. It's been a *long* time since i cooked a turkey, so i don't 
> remember how long this needs to be.
> 
> Anahita
> 
	My grandmother usually dips a piece of linen cloth in melted butter
and drapes the turkey with it.
	Later in the process sh'll just pour some more melted butter over
the cloth to get a long lasting baste.
	IIR she also cooks the bird with the breast side down.  To this day
I haven't had a dry turkey when she's cooked it.

	A caveat though...if you use a colored cloth/towel, please make sure
it's color fast when dipped in fat at a high temp.
	My mother once used a green&white plaid kitchen towel.  When she
removed it to let the skin brown it had a light green color.
	*shudder*  Needless to say that bird went out the window.  Find a
towel that works and designate it for turkey use only. 

	Angus, who can't wait for the xmas turkey dinner at his
grandmother's. 
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