APRICOT AND ALMOND STUFFING

This is the stuff that great turkeys are made of. The debates are numerous, sometimes big and at times heated. What stuffing goes in the turkey? There are a million and one ideas but not all are good, unfortunately.

While the stuffing in the US is actually stuffed in the bird cavity, the English stuffing goes in the neck end of the turkey. Some of the stuffing mix are shaped into balls and baked alongside the bird.

Personally, I wouldn't like eating roast turkey without any stuffing. My choice is English style meaty stuffing, called forcemeat stuffing, embellished with flavourings that make it taste extra delicious. Apricot and almond is my favourite and the one I usually make. The apricots add a touch of sweetness and a hint of tanginess while the almonds provide a contrasting crunch. Make extras as they tend to disappear as soon as they are cooked. 

Yield: approx. 20 balls, to serve 6-8

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 c.)
2 tbsps. butter
450 gms. fresh sausage meat
125 gms. streaky bacon rashers, roughly chopped
1/3 c. of roughly chopped dried apricots (soft, ready to eat)
1/3 c. almond flakes
1/2 c. fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. sugar
extra breadcrumbs or 10 thin streaky bacon rashers, halved

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F/ 180° C.

Put the chopped onions in a bowl and top with the butter. Cover with a lid and microwave for 2 minutes on full power. Alternatively, soften the onions in the butter on a pan. Leave to cool slightly.

Put the rest of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the softened onions and mix thoroughly. 

Test the seasonings. Microwave a teaspoonful of the mixture on a saucer for few seconds. I did not need to add salt to my mixture.

If you want to stuff your turkey, lift the flap of skin where the neck bone was removed, and put about 1 cup of of the mixture on the neck end, where there is a natural dip (don't stuff this in the body cavity). For easy carving, remove the wishbone. This is easier said than done and I don't bother to do this.

Form the rest into balls (about the size of golf balls). You can either wrap each in half a rasher of bacon or roll in fresh bread crumbs.

Arrange on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with oil. 

Bake for 30 minutes until cooked and browned.

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