The reason I use a rice stuffing in all my birds now, is the result of some unbridled criticism of my bread stuffing. Now, I do not mind criticism of my cooking. I do mind when it is uncalled for, overbearing, overly repetitive, or just plain mean.
Once, a dozen years ago, I had made Thanksgiving supper for the first time in the home I currently reside in. Well, I also had to look for a new butcher. I found one, he appeared to be good and know what he was doing.
Back then, I thought the only way to go was free range and/or organic. In many ways it probably is. Anyway, the butcher took my order for a fresh, free range, and organic bird. When it came time to get the bird, three days before Thanksgiving, I was in for a shock.
The bird was definitely not free range or organic and it certainly was not fresh, as it was frozen like an iceberg and looked like it had been there a while. Foolishly, I paid for the bird and brought it home to thaw in my cold room. I suspected the turkey may be a tad on the dry side when the big day came. I was right.
That Thanksgiving, the wife and I also invited a friend and her family over for the meal. When everyone came I advised them of my butchery bamboozle and that the bird may be dry, but I made extra gravy. In the end, I made four batches of gravy in total. I apologised several times. Everyone used a lot of gravy and took it in good stride. Everyone, except one of our friend's sisters.
She went on and on about the dryness of the turkey. Sorry, but I warned everyone and apologised many times. Well, she kept going on about it. Through dinner. After dinner. During dessert. After dessert. Before she left out the door.
To me, that is repetitive, leading to overbearing, and ending up just plain mean. Sure the bird was dry, but it was largely out of my control. Sure, I could have refused it and gone somewhere else, but that is where my fault ended. I know how to cook a bird. And it was not that bad in the end really. They have not been invited back for a Thanksgiving dinner since.
Why I do not make stuffing is a whole different story. Suffice to say, my stuffing was compared to someone's mother's stuffing. The comparison was not in my favour. No problem. Most people believe their mother's cooking is the best in the world. I thought that of my mother's. No problem, I can take. It was the manner and spirit the comparison was made. Very mean spirited, with snide laughter. That was it, no more bread stuffing. Ever!
Fast forward. I was going to cook a chicken several months back and wanted to keep everything in one roast pan: bird, vegetables, and the starch. I decided I wanted potatoes, but also something else. I decided on a rice stuffing. I mentioned this to the wife. I also mentioned that I need to find a rice stuffing recipe. Well, the wife is one smart cookie.
She asked how much rice would I need to stuff the bird, do I cook the rice beforehand or do I stuff it uncooked? Well, less than two cups, it is a chicken after all and yes, the rice needs to be cooked beforehand, but I would do that the day before. So, she mentioned how she had seen these packages of cooked rice at the grocery store. This may fit the bill and save some time and hassle.
We checked them out at the grocery store, looked at the ingredients, nothing that I cannot pronounce, which is always a good thing. They are intended to be microwaved for a couple of minutes and served. We bought one to try out. It was pretty good.
the first brand i tried, the gold standard
Next time at the store, I bought a bunch more. Used those up. Bought more, used them up too. Christmas was coming up and I decided I wanted to stuff the turkey. I have since gone in to cheapskate mode and buy unstuffed Butterballs. (Remember, no more bread stuffing from me.) I figured I would have to make the stuffing from scratch as a turkey is bigger than a chicken. I found a recipe online. Cool.
However, just to cover all the bases and have a backup, I decided to get some of the rice packets. Well, there was obviously a run on them. There was only one of the brand I had been using, but there were a couple others. On one, I could not read the ingredients, the other was not so bad. I picked some of those up too. I ended up making the stuffing from scratch, but have since used all but two of the rice packets in chicken.
and the runner up is...
Well, tonight, we are having a friend and his wife over for dinner. Rice stuffed chicken with roasted potatoes and cauliflower and broccoli. Gravy. Baguette from The Crusty Bakers in Kemptville. Pecan pie for dessert.
So, I will season the chicken with garlic, paprika (preferably smoked), white pepper. Sometimes I also use granulated, dried, onion and smoked black pepper. (The seasoning I use on most roasts.) Then I will stuff the bird, put it in the roast pan with the potatoes and water to cover them. After forty-five minutes to an hour, I will drain the liquid and use it for a gravy base. If I am using root vegetables, they often go in the roast pan too. Tonight, I am also making a salad to be served with my home-made dressing that uses herbs from my garden.
To cook it, I use a roasting guide from what I thought was a cheesy cookbook I got for Christmas from one of my sisters-in-law. In fact, this cookbook, that was produced by a sugar manufacturer, is really well done. I use it quite a bit. Especially the roasting charts, which have never let me down. In fact, the book is falling apart. Pages have come away and there are various food stains on many pages.
the tattered and stained, not so cheesy, cookbook
So, off I go to make what I know will be a very delicious, yet simple and easy supper.
the roasting chart for poultry, it never fails
for good measure, the one for meats, another winner
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