Off the Cuff

[#1]

I used to think there were not enough foods offered on a stick. After reading this story in the Chicago Tribune today, I’m revisiting that position. The practical issues with getting Irish Stew to actually stay on a stick seem quite daunting.

However, I am intrigued by deep-fried stuffing on a stick after reading that the Lt. Governor of Maryland once made it for Thanksgiving. It’s a Paula Deen specialty, apparently.

Deep-Fried Stuffing on a Stick

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2007

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2007

Prep Time: 25 min

Inactive Prep Time:  25 min

Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 12 servings

 

Ingredients

Stuffing:

• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 pound breakfast sausage, bulk
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 bag unseasoned bread cubes, for stuffing
• 1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons ground sage
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 4 eggs, beaten

For Frying:

• Oil, for frying
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Special equipment: 12 wooden ice cream sticks or skewers

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it is cooked through. Transfer to a plate, while spooning off the excess grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the skillet. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter and melt. Add the onion, carrot and celery and saute until softened. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, toss together bread cubes, saltines, poultry seasoning, parsley flakes, sage, salt and pepper. Stir the sauteed vegetables into the mixing bowl. Pour in the chicken stock and eggs and toss together. Turn the stuffing out into the prepared baking dish.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and the juices in the stuffing are bubbling.

Preheat oil in the deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

Cool the stuffing completely. Cut it into 12 squares. Remove each square from the dish and wrap it around a wooden stick, pressing it onto the stick with your hands. Make the stuffing form a log shape around the popsicle stick, leaving 2-inches of the stick exposed for the handle. This should look somewhat like a lumpy corn dog.

Roll the stick in the flour, coating it well and then shaking off the excess. Gently lower the sticks into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Kathleen Flinn is a chef, lecturer and author of the book "The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry". You can visit her online at www.KathleenFlinn.com.

[#2]

it doesn't look appetizing - but i do like some food on a stick. ;o}

[#3]

Hmmm...No offense, but it sounds kind of gross. The sheer amount of fat that must be in those suckers makes me want to just stick to things I can use a fork on. Also, I'm not really sure why it would be important to offer more foods on a stick. Have we become a society that is so intent on being on the go that we can't take even a few minutes out of our days to eat properly? All the fast food out there says a lot about our priorities. I briefly worked in a job where I had a twenty minute lunch break, which seems abusive to me and frequently caused me heartburn. I don't want to start a rant, but honestly, can we just sit down to real meals again?

[#4]

I'd LOVE to sit down to meals, but realistically (and yes, I know it's our culture and it's not necessarily a good thing), but I'm often in so much of a hurry I'd love to have easy stuff to eat that's portable and that I can eat in the car without making a big mess. But not just "real" food - desserts too. I want portable key lime pie. Nom nom lol