Two chefs told Fox News Digital their tips and tricks for whipping up the perfect stuffing this Thanksgiving and holiday season.
There is some debate, though, about what type of bread should be used or whether or not the stuffing should actually be stuffed inside the turkey. Both chefs agreed that the bread needed to be dry.
“You want your bread to be dry. Some people suggested it was stale,” California chef and American Gravy founder Andrew Gruel told Fox News Digital. (See the video at the top of this article.)
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Gruel says the excess moisture contained in bread takes up space that would otherwise be filled. “Beautiful taste of the filling”
“Think of it like a sponge,” he says. “If you already have a sponge full of water, And you pour water That water will be gone. And it will retain the water that is already there. There’s bread and stuffing in there as well.”
Using dry or toasted bread helps it absorb more of the flavor, California-based chef Andrew Gruel told Fox News Digital. (Istock)
If the bread is still too moist, Gruel says, “you’ll end up with egg custard” instead of stuffing.
Instead of letting his bread go stale by sitting outside, Gruel says he prefers toasting it.
“I’m going to take some bread and cut it into cubes. Then you put it in the oven and toast it, it will dry out,” he said.
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Toasting bread also has the advantage of making “Beautiful brown flavor,” he said.
Chef Todd English also promotes bread that isn’t fresh, he told Fox News Digital.
The two chefs agreed that dry bread, if possible, was the best choice for stuffing. (Istock)
English is a multiple James Beard Award winner and owner of several restaurants across the United States, including Bentley Residences Miami in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida.
“I make it with cornbread,” he stated. “Toasted Corn Bread”
He said using toast gives a better flavor than fresh or stale bread.
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“What I found is that the toast or toast absorbs all of those flavors. And it turned out to be a better filling that was a little more hearty and delicious” than using fresh bread, he said.
“The toast absorbs all those flavors and becomes a better filling.”
“It absorbs those flavors better,” English adds.
The way the filling is cooked can also result in a different flavor.
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“A lot of people stuff birds when they’re raw. And once they started,” English said, noting that his mother liked it this way.
Chef Todd English told Fox News Digital that he likes to make toasted cornbread filling. (Istock)
“I always like to roast the turkey first and then make the stuffing on the side,” he says.
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English says doing this means the stuffing will benefit from the turkey’s juices and the turkey itself will be properly cooked.
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“You will heat up the filling. And it will absorb some of the juice,” he said.
