Herbs in Stuffings

We're approaching that time of year when cooks begin reaching for Grandmother’s time-honored stuffing and dressing recipes. And as you thumb through those dog-eared, food-stained, fragrant pages or cards, herbs and spices will no doubt come to mind. They’re the ingredients that ­evoke the most nostalgic memories, and simply smelling the seasonings can conjure up images from the past: simmering oyster stew with sweet marjoram, golden turkey roasting alongside crusty sage dressing, and warm pumpkin pie redolent of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. This is indeed a pleasing form of aromatherapy.

Our food history is replete with stuffings of all descriptions. Fruits, vegetables, pasta, breads, and meats have been stuffed with every imaginable combination of herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables, pasta, breads, and meats. In early human history, frugality dictated the use of stuffings, in various guises, for stretching scarce food supplies. Every scrap of food was used, as flavoring if not as a primary ingredient, and mixtures of leftovers have become staples in many cuisines. In America’s bone-gripping depression and war years, dressings and stuffings helped many a meal suffice for how­ever many gathered around the table. But it was the seasonings that made those simple foods pleasantly memorable.

As we approach the twenty-first century, health concerns are becoming a high priority for many people, and the use of highly flavored stuffings allows smaller amounts of meat and other fat-laden proteins to be served. Stuffings based on vegetables provide valuable nutrients and fiber, and fresh herbs can often stand in for salt.

Following are a few simple ideas that have given us consistently good results. We’ve also included a few of our favorite recipes to guide your exploration of herbal stuffings.

The herbs in stuffings

The simplest stuffing is herbs by themselves. Lay branches of complementary herbs in the cavity of a whole fish or fill a Cornish game hen with leaves and tender stems (never use woody stems). Ground spices and herb seeds may be mixed with salt and pepper and sprinkled in the cavity. We usually prefer to combine herbs and seasonings to create a one-of-a-kind blend, rather than using just a single herb. You can experiment with a wide variety of herbs, so long as the end result is pleasing.

Herb cheese and herb butter are quick and easy to stir up and keep on hand in the freezer, and these are wonderful vehicles for any herb combination you choose. Lemon thyme, sweet marjoram, parsley, and chives marry well and are particularly complementary to poultry. Mixed with bread crumbs and raw eggs, this blend is guaranteed to make a flavorful stuffing.

Pieces of onion, celery, carrot, tart apple, or citrus fruit are excellent additions that provide complex flavors along with the herbs.