Elizabethan Stuffing for Turkey or Capon

The Elizabethans made lavish use of spices and fruits in their cooking. This dish combines some typical flavours of the time in a rich, sweet stuffing that complements turkey or chapon.

½ Tsp Ground Cinnamon, organic
¼ Tsp Ground Ginger, organic
¼ Tsp, ground Mace, organic
1 pinch Saffron, organic
300g sausagemeat
60g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
1 apple, cored and grated
3 canned anchovy fillets, drained and finely chopped
25g raisins
Salt and black pepper
1 small egg, beaten
Pinch of saffron strands
1 tablespoon honey

Put the breadcrumbs, sausage meat, apple, anchovy, raisins, cinnamon, ginger and mace in a bowl and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste, with enough beaten egg to bind the mixture.

Use to stuff your bird or place the stuffing in an oven proof dish and pop into the oven for the last 45mins of cooking time of your chosen bird.

Tip: to ensure that the stuffing remains moist, spoon over a couple of tablespoons of the roast bird juices to add both flavour and moisture to the separately cooked stuffing.