Mary Berry's stuffing
These traditional sausage meat stuffing balls provide the perfect accompaniment to roast poultry – especially at Christmas. You can cook them ahead and freeze them and reheat as many as you need.
Ingredients
- 40²µ/1½´Ç³ú butter, plus extra for greasing
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 700g/1lb 9oz pork sausage meat
- 150g/5½oz fresh white breadcrumbs
- 1 large unwaxed lemon, juice and finely grated zest
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Method
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion and fry gently for 8-10 minutes, or until softened.
Stir in the remaining stuffing ingredients, except for the vegetable oil, until well combined. Season to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Using wet hands, shape the sausage meat mixture into 16 equally-sized balls. Place on a lightly greased baking tray, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the stuffing balls and fry for 4–5 minutes, turning once, until golden on both sides.
Return the fried stuffing balls to the baking tray (or, if there is room, place them in the same roasting tray as the turkey or chicken). Bake the stuffing balls for 20–25 minutes, or until cooked through. If they brown too quickly during cooking, cover with kitchen foil.
Serve with roast turkey, roast chicken, or other roast meat.
Recipe Tips
Tip 1: If your oven will be full cooking the turkey or chicken, cook the stuffing balls a day in advance, then reheat before serving. Alternatively, cook them while the meat rests.
Tip 2: This recipe makes enough stuffing mixture to stuff the neck end of a 2–3kg/6–7lb turkey or the cavity of two large chickens.
