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. ^ *1 I .PAGE 24 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE September 19, 1986 Empire Kosher Foods offers tips for stuffing holiday bird To most people, a big beautiful roast chicken or turkey, stuffed with delicious, homemade dress ing, sitting on a large platter in the middle of the family dining table is an important part of the tradi tional holiday scene. Today, however, many home makers are not painting this com plete picture. They may be prepar ing the roast turkey or chicken, but many times the stuffing is either missing or prepared in a casserole or sauce pan. Stuffing, roasted right inside the body cavity of the chicken or tur key, takes on a special flavor that cooking in a casserole or sauce pan can never give. The reason most homemakers list for not preparing the stuffing in the chicken or turkey is “time.” True, it take longer to prepare the stuffing, stuff the bird and cook the turkey or chicken, if the stuffing is inside, but the results are certainly worth the extra time and effort. To provide some basic guide lines on how to stuff and cook a stuffed turkey or large roasting chicken, the cooks at Empire Kosher Foods offer the following suggestions: • The time to stuff the turkey or chicken is just before the bird goes to the oven. Be sure that the bird is fully thawed and that it has been rinsed, inside and out, with cold water and then dried with paper towels. • Prepare enough stuffing to equal cup of stuffing for each pound of turkey (for birds over 10 pounds). For chickens and turkeys under 10 pounds, one-half cup of stuffing per pound should be suffi cient. • Spoon the stuffing loosely into the neck cavity; pull skin down over stuffing and fasten skin secure ly to the back with a skewer. • Place the bird, neck side down, in a large bowl. Lightly spoon stuf fing into body cavity. • Holding the bird by the legs, gently shake the stuffingdown. Do not pack the stuffing or the mix ture will not cook properly. • Pull the skin over the opening and secure with skewers; tie legs to tail. • Do not freeze stuffing in a cooked or uncooked turkey or chicken. • Place the whole stuffed turkey or chicken on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Cover bird with a oven. • The following are approxi mate times to cook a stuffed turkey or chicken: Weight 6-8 lbs. 8-12 lbs. 12-16 lbs. 16-20 lbs. 20-24 lbs. Cooking Time 3-3>/ 2 hrs. 3>/2-4 , /j hrs. 4'/ 2 -5i/ 2 hrs. SVi-6Vi hrs. 6 1 / 2 -7 hrs. • The bird is done when a meat thermometer, inserted into the thigh meat, reads 180°F. to 185°F. Also, upon moving the drumstick up and down, the leg joint should give or break readily. • To be sufficiently cooked, the temperature of the stuffing must reach at least 165° F. Now that we have covered the basic “how to’s” of stuffing, the question that many will have is “what do 1 use for stuffing?” In answer to this question, the folks at Empire Kosher also offer the fol lowing stuffing recipes: Herb Stuffing 4 cups dry bread crumbs 2 tbsps. chopped onion 2 tbsps. chopped chives 1 tsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. dried tarragon 1 tsp. salt '/ 2 tsp. pepper '/ 4 cup melted margarine 1 cup hot water 2 tbsps. chopped fresh parsley Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Makes enough stuf fing for a 6-8 pound chicken or turkey. Cranberry-Apple Stuffing 1 cup cooked wild rice V/i cups cooked long grain rice *4 tsp. thyme 1 tbsp. chopped chives 1 tbsp. chopped celery leaves 1 cup chopped celery 2'/ 2 cups chopped apple l'/i cups fresh cranberries (cut in half) Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Makes enough stuffing for an 8 to 10 pound turkey. Potato and Bread Stuffing Vi cup water Vi cup chopped celery, with leaves V* cup chopped onion 1 tsp. salt '/i tsp. pepper 1 tbsp. chopped parsley 2 cups mashed potatoes 3 eggs, lightly beaten 2 cups fresh bread crumbs Vi tup chicken or turkey broth Place water in small saucepan; add herbs. Bring to a boil; then simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes. When herb mixture is ready, com bine all ingredients in a large bowl. Makes enough stuffing for a 6-8 pound chicken or turkey. 636-7877 ofiftcMoods Custom Framing Prints# Poster Art Joan Schwartz, owner Toco Hill Shopping Center Next to Kroger's nsz Professional & Personal Home Health Care . RN’S, LPN’S, NAS • Homemakers • Live-in Companions • Elderly Person Aides 373-2858 • Critical Care 351-0009 • /• V. Therapy 767-7721 • Shopping Services Tender Loving Care NURSING CENTER THE EPSTEIN SCHOOL Solomon Schechter School of Atlanta ANNUAL TELETHON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 ‘Who finds a friend finds a treasure' Be a friend of The Epstein School SAY YES! 600 Peachtree Battle Avenue, N.W., Atlanta, GA 30327 (404) 351-7623 HIGH HOLY DAYS WORSHIP SERVICES 1986 Join us as we sound the Shofar. KEHILLAT CHAIM n^n n?"' Rosh Hashannah Services October 3 & 4 RABBI Harvey J. Winokur Yom Kippur Services October 12 & 13 CANTOR Charles Julian Call the Kehillah Office for Further Information 252-4441 “A Reform Congregation serving the North Atlanta Suburbs.” Please inquire about our Sunday School beginning in September. Willett Toyota 2650 N. Decatur Rd. Decatur, GA 30033 299-0551 Danny Tourial The ’87s will be in soon so we are dropping prices to clear the 86’s. Fleet cars and trucks Leasing all makes and models MR 2 IfMM