Spicy Stuffing on the Wild Side is a modern Fusion recipe for a classic spicy stuffing for fowl based on sage and onion but with cashew nuts, urad dal, catkin crumbs, ramsons and curry spices. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Fusion version of: Spicy Stuffing on the Wild Side.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
When I prepare a chicken I usually give it a coating of spices, typically either African (eg Nigerian suya) or Indian. But what if you also want a stuffing to make the roast bird go further? Especially if some of your diners don't want or like the classic sage and onion stuffing. The hazel and beech catkins here are on their last legs as well, so I went out to collect a big bag and started to candy them. So I had catkin 'crumbs' available as well. On my morning forage as well as Japanese knotweed shoots to make the pudding I also collected ramson leaves on the way back. So, my idea was to make a sage an onion type base, but blending catkin crumbs with the breadcrumbs. As my wife likes cashews and I had a big bag of them in the cupboard, then add some cashews to the mix. Then a few Indian additions, Kashmiri chilli flakes, a few tablespoons of hot madras curry powder and some cooked urad dal to give the stuffing body.
Ingredients:
2 slices of brown bread, left out over night and rendered to crumbs
6 tbsp catkin crumbs (processed as in the candied catkins recipe)
50g cashew nuts, lightly toasted and broken to pieces in a blender
1/2 onion, finely grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp Kashmiri chilli flakes
80g cooked urad dal, lightly mashed
3 tbsp madras curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
generous twists of black pepper
1 bunch of ramson (bear garlic) leaves, finely shredded
1 oven-ready chicken (or any other bird; see method for other ways of cooking)
Method:
Mix together the breadcrumbs, catkin crumbs, cashew nut pieces, salt, Kashmiri chilli flakes and madras curry powder in a bowl. Stir through with a fork to combine.
Now add the onion, garlic and mashed beans. Mix together with your hands to ensure everything is properly mixed. Finally stir through the shredded ramson leaves.
Use this mixture to stuff the insides and neck of the bird. Shape the remainder into balls.
Cook your chicken in the usual manner, adding the stuffing balls to the roasting tin about 30 minutes before the end on the roasting time. Baste with the pan juices (also baste the stuffing in the body cavity) then finish roasting until the chicken is cooked through.
Serve the stuffing sliced or spooned to accompany the bird.
If you just want the stuffing, then bind with an egg and fry in oil or butter until golden brown all over.
