h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've had the job of stuffing our christmas turkey for the last however-many years... This is my usual recipe:

Mix together (in a large bowl):
Breadcrumbs - made from 4-5 slices of bread
Onion - diced finely
Garlic - 2-3 cloves diced finely or crushed
Fresh herbs - a good handful of each of sage and oregano, and a little basil and parsely (if you haven't got fresh, dried will suffice - but reduce the quantities to about a third)
Spices - crushed coriander seed and black peppercorns, a few crushed cumin seeds, a little paprika, a pinch of chilli powder, 10-20 crushed cardomom pods (discard the green outer husk)
Giblets - pre-cooked, and finely diced
Mushrooms - 5-6 medium sized mushrooms, diced

Mix these ingredients together well. Then add in:
Sausagemeat - approx 500g (1.1lb)
Worcestershire sauce - just a dash
Lemon - juice and grated rind of 1-2 lemons
Egg - 1-2, enough to bind the mixture together

You should have a mixture with a texture not dis-similar to dough. It should hold into balls without falling apart.


To stuff the bird:

Wash teh bird thoroughly, inside and out. Pat dry with kitchen towel, and turn the bird upside-down. Gently spoon some of the mixture into the neck end (the end nearest the wings). Firm the mixture down, making sure there are no pockets of air. Check that the flaps of skin will still cover the neck, so you can seal it. If there is a lot of room, add some more of the stuffing mixture. Be careful not to overfill the bird though - the stuffing will expand slightly as it cooks, so if the skin is tight it may burst.

To seal up the neck, pull the flap skin towards the centre of the bird. You may need to fold and tuck it in slightly, to ensure there are no gaps. Secure the skin using skewers or cocktail sticks.

Any remaining stuffing mixture can be put into the body cavity, or pressed into a suitable sized dish (or rolled into balls) and cooked seperately.