A staple of any holiday table, stuffing is one of the most popular side dishes for American holiday dinners. But did you know that stuffing has been popular since the first century? We’re taking a closer look at the history of stuffing, and offering up a unique recipe with a twist to try during your holiday festivities!
A Roman Cookbook, A Delicacy, and… A Dormouse?
Although experts are not clear on when or where stuffing was first made, the first recorded history of the dish comes fromApicius de re Coquinaria, a Roman collection of popular recipes from the first century AD. These recipes frequently mixed spelt (a type of early wheat used to make breads), spices, herbs, and vegetables, which was then stuffed into a variety of animals. In particular, the Romans favored stuffed chicken, rabbit, or pigs for their everyday meals. But during special occasions, the Romans turned to their favorite delicacy: edible Dormouse. Today, dormouse is still considered a delicacy throughout Slovenia, and in certain areas of Croatia.
Stuffing remained a popular dish past the Roman empire, and has gathered several names over the centuries, including: farce (from the 14thcentury), forcemeat (from the 17thcentury), and most recently, the 19thcentury term dressing. The recipe has also gone through many different renditions, depending on which culture it appears in, resulting in there being a large debate over what a “true” traditional stuffing consists of.
Stuffing during American Holidays
But what about at the first Thanksgiving meal? One might think that, surely, given its popularity, stuffing was a main part of the first Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, we have no clear record of whether or not stuffing was present when the Pilgrims broke bread with the Wampanoag tribe. While records indicate there were many turkeys and waterfowl present, there is no mention of whether or not these birds were stuffed for the meal.
However, as Thanksgiving meals became more common over the years, stuffing began to take a much more prominent place at the holiday table. Early Thanksgiving menus from the 19thcentury list stuffed turkeys and hams as main courses, indicating that by the 1800s, stuffing had come to the forefront of most holiday meals.
Today, the holidays in the United States would be considered incomplete without this classic side-dish. Whether it’s the small, spiced bread cubes of New England, or the meaty corn bread dressing of the South, there’s little doubt about whether stuffing will make an appearance at a modern holiday meal. This winter, try your hand at this unique stuffing recipe from theTrailer Food Diaries Cookbook:
TurkeyStuffing with Altengartz Bratwurst
Courtesy of Altengartz Bratwurst
This authentic German sausage makes a savory stuffing for your next holiday dinner.
1 (10–12 pound) turkey, with giblets removed
1 quart chicken broth
2 ounces dried mushrooms (chanterelles are nice but pricey)
½ pound Altengartz Bratwurst (2 links), removed from casing and crumbled into pieces
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped (you can use red bell pepper if you like a sweeter taste)
3 cups Challah bread, cut into ½-inch cubes (from approximately 4–5 slices)
4 ounces unsweetened dried cherries, approximately 1 cup
2 ounces chopped pecans, approximately ½ cup
2 whole eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
2 teaspoons dried parsley
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
3–5 tablespoons olive oil for rubbing on turkey
1–3 tablespoons kosher salt for seasoning turkey
Special equipment:
1 reuseable organic cotton produce bag.
Cook’s note: This bag is optional. Once the stuffing is made, you can place the stuffing into the bag and then place the bag into the cavity of the turkey.
• Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
• Place the turkey into a deep, high-sided bowl with the stuffing end up. Set aside.
• Heat the chicken broth in the microwave in a large microwave-proof container. Place mushrooms in a glass bowl and pour heated broth over them. Cover and allow to sit for 35 minutes.
• In a large sauté pan over medium heat, cook the crumbled bratwurst, onion, celery and bell pepper, stirring only occasionally. When stirring, scrape the browned bits from the pan. Continue until the sausage is cooked through. Place the sausage/vegetables mixture on a sheet pan. Spread the cubed bread over the mixture and roast for 10–15 minutes or until the bread tips are toasty and brown.
• Drain mushrooms, reserving 1 cup of the liquid. Chop the mushrooms and place in a large microwave-proof bowl with the vegetables and bread, reserved chicken stock, cherries, pecans, eggs, sage, parsley and black pepper. Stir well in order to break up pieces of bread. Use your hands to combine if necessary. Heat the stuffing in a microwave on high power for 6 minutes.
• While the stuffing is heating, rub the bird with oil. Working quickly, place the stuffing into the cavity of the turkey to avoid losing heat. Place the turkey into a roasting pan, on a rack, and season with salt and pepper. Place the roasting pan on the middle rack of the oven. Roast for 45 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350˚F and cook for another 60 to 75 minutes or until the bird reaches an internal temperature of 170˚F. Serve immediately.
FAQs
The earliest written evidence is in a Roman cookbook entitled Apicius De Re Coquinaria. It has recipes for stuffed chicken, pig, hare and dormouse, using ingredients such as vegetables, herbs, nuts, spelt (a type of grain), plus brains, liver and other organs.
For what holiday do Americans traditionally serve stuffing? ›
Turkey: This is the main course at every Thanksgiving dinner! People cook their turkeys using many different recipes. Every turkey is unique! Stuffing: Before cooking the turkey, Americans fill it with a stuffing mixture made with bread, spices, and sometimes even sausage.
What is stuffing called in America? ›
Stuffing and dressing are commonly used as different names for the same thing—a dish consisting of bits of bread (or other starchy things) and various seasonings. The dish can be made by stuffing it (hence the name) inside a turkey or other bird that will be roasted, or by baking or cooking it separately.
How old is stuffing? ›
So how far back can we find stuffing used in cooking? Some time between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD, a chef by the name of Apicius created a cookbook entitled, “Apicius de re Coquinaria.” In its pages are recipes for stuffed chicken, rabbit, pig, and even dormouse.
Why is it called dressing in the south? ›
But for the Thanksgiving side dish in the South, the term dressing was adopted in place of stuffing, which was viewed as a crude term, during the Victorian era. Although dressing and stuffing are interchangeable terms, the signature ingredient of this Thanksgiving side dish in the South is cornbread.
Why do we eat stuffing at Christmas? ›
Why is stuffing eaten at Christmas? There is no particular reason why stuffing is eaten at Christmas, other than it is a traditional accompaniment to turkey, the most popular Christmas meat. Turkey can be quite bland and stuffing is considered to add flavour and texture to the dish.
Why do we eat stuffing on Thanksgiving? ›
For one, modern stovetops weren't widely available until the 18th century — birds were roasted on a spit over an open fire — which made it difficult to cook side dishes at the same time. The solution? Simply cook the sides in the bird. Moreover, preparing stuffing this way meant more bang for one's caloric buck.
Why not eat stuffing from turkey? ›
Bacteria can survive in stuffing that has not reached 165 degrees that could then cause food poisoning. After removing the bird from the oven, wait for 20 minutes before taking the stuffing out of the turkey's cavity; it will cook a little more this way. Learn more about our editorial process.
What country invented stuffing? ›
History. It is not known when stuffings were first used. The earliest documentary evidence is the Roman cookbook, Apicius De Re Coquinaria, which contains recipes for stuffed chicken, dormouse, hare, and pig.
Why put eggs in stuffing? ›
Broth: Chicken broth keeps the stuffing moist without making it soggy. Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture. Water: You can add a few tablespoons of water, if you'd like, to achieve your desired consistency.
This is down to a science: A 2015 survey conducted on behalf of the poultry company Butterball revealed that, regardless of how the dish was cooked, most of the country—including 100 percent of New Englanders—refers to the side as stuffing, while Southerners are devoted dressing fans.
What do Texans call stuffing? ›
One funny thing about “stuffing” is that, in Texas, some people say “stuffing” and some people say “dressing.” Traditionally, it was called stuffing, because you stuffed the turkey with it. Other families don't like to stuff the turkey at all – and prepare it in a pan, calling it dressing.
What do British people call stuffing? ›
In Theodora Fitzgibbon's massive The Food of the Western World, stuffing is “The name given in England to combinations of a variety of foods which are inserted into meats, poultry, fish, eggs, or vegetables. In the United States, stuffing is also called dressing . . .” Onward.
What is the difference between Thanksgiving dressing and stuffing? ›
"Stuffing is cooked in the cavity of the turkey, so the juices soak into the ingredients, making it more flavorful. Dressing gets cooked on its own and needs extra liquid to make it flavorful." So stuffing is cooked inside the bird. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish.
What is the origin of the word dressing stuffing? ›
The term dressing, per the History Channel, originated around the 1850s, when the Victorians deemed stuffing too crude for the dish to be named. This happened around the same time that the term “dark meat” began to refer to chicken legs and thighs.
What was eaten for Christmas before turkey? ›
Luxury loving Georgians ate a lot of meat at Christmas, particularly beef, mutton and venison, using it as a way to demonstrate their wealth and status. Poultry was usually served as a side dish, and the main choice of bird was goose, though turkey was now becoming more popular for families who could afford it.
Where is the first recorded history of people eating stuffing? ›
Although experts are not clear on when or where stuffing was first made, the first recorded history of the dish comes from Apicius de re Coquinaria, a Roman collection of popular recipes from the first century AD.
Why did people put stuffing in turkey? ›
As the turkey cooks, its juices drip onto the stuffing, infusing the bread and vegetables with extra flavor. Some people also think the practice yields a moister stuffing, while others "do it to save space in the oven," says Baker.
