Food glossary

Stuffing

Stuffing

Stuffing consists of a mixture of savoury ingredients such as breadcrumbs, herbs, fruit, nuts, sausagemeat and onion which are bound together with egg or liquid to form a semi-solid mixture. It is usually cooked with roast meat such as chicken, pork or lamb and is served as an accompaniment to the sliced, cooked meat.

Stuffing meat before cooking helps to add extra flavour and also to keep the meat moist during the cooking time. If you are stuffing a bird or joint remember to weigh it afterwards to calculate the cooking time.

There are 2 main types of stuffing - dried and fresh. Dried stuffing such as Waitrose redcurrant and rosemary stuffing mix or Waitrose sage and onion stuffing mix needs to be mixed with water before use. Fresh stuffing such as Waitrose sausagemeat stuffing is ready to use.

Uses: Stuffing can be used to stuff a joint or bird or to top or stuff individual portions of meat such as pork or lamb chops or chicken breasts or it can be cooked separately from the joint or bird and served as an accompaniment to the meat. Waitrose dried stuffings are suitable for vegetarians and can be used to make vegetarian bakes, burgers or to top meat or vegetarian stews and casseroles.

To store: Dried stuffing: store in a cool dry place for up to 1 year. Fresh stuffing: store in the fridge and consume by the use by date. Waitrose fresh stuffings are suitable for home freezing. To freeze, freeze on the day of purchase for up to 1 month. To defrost place on a plate or tray and cover. Defrost thoroughly in the bottom of the fridge, below and away from cooked foods and any ready to eat food, before cooking. Never re-freeze raw meat that has been frozen and then thawed. Wash work surfaces, chopping boards, utensils and hands thoroughly after touching raw meat.

To use: Dried stuffing: add boiling water, stir well and leave to stand then cook following the pack instructions. Fresh stuffing: to bake, form into balls, place on a lightly greased baking tray in a preheated oven at 190°C, gas mark 5 for 20-25 minutes.

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