If there is one holiday dish that seems to be a favorite of Canadian cooks, it must be none other than sage and onion stuffing. Fresh, soft bread stuffing that has been touched by a healthy dose of melted butter, onions, salt and pepper and sage and stuffed up the bird’s butt. There is one way to improve it though: Fresh sage, and I’m not talking about that stuff you buy at the grocery store that comes in a plastic blister pack.
Many cooks are afraid of growing their own herbs, because they have a history of killing everything. Unlike less hardy perennial herbs and annuals, sage is perfectly suited to the Canadian climate. In fact, it is so hardy that a big, bushy sage plant requires little or no effort to maintain and offers a year round source great flavor.
The above photo was taken today, Christmas morning, with an ambient temperature of minus 8 celsius and a bit of snow on the ground and yet most of the plant is still green! We use the leaves torn up in our stuffing and lay whole leaves beneath the skin of the turkey. Not only does the sage flavor permeate through the meat, but it looks wonderful under the golden brown skin.
If you don’t have a sage plant in your garden, be sure to dig one in next Spring. You’ll be happy you did.
From our kitchen to your’s, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!
