My dear grandmother would get up at around 4.30 am on Christmas morning and start making the entire Christmas lunch from scratch, including bread sauce, cranberry sauce, chocolate log, mince pies, pigs in blankets, and this deliciously herby stuffing.
My mum, on the other hand, has always prepared it in advance and frozen it, ready for the big day (she’s very organised!).
I have to confess that I’ve never attempted to make this much-loved family dish but this is the year I intend to carry on the tradition!
Ingredients – can be prepared in advance or on the day 😉
- 5/6 sticks of celery, cut into small slices
- 120g of butter
- 1 large clove garlic, crushed
- Half a loaf of wholemeal bread, crumbed
- A bunch of chopped fresh parsley
- 2 TBSP chopped fresh sage
- 1 TSP dried or fresh rosemary
- 1/2 TSP dried thyme
- 1 TBSP chopped fresh basil
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Method
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and gently sauté the garlic and celery but make sure the celery has a bit of crunchiness.
- Meanwhile, mix all the herbs and parsley with the breadcrumbs in a large bowl, and add the salt and pepper.
- Tip the sautéed celery mixture into the bowl and mix well. At this point, you can either freeze it or pop it in the fridge.
- Or if cooking it straight away – transfer it to an oven-proof dish and cover with foil. Cook at 160° for approximately 40 mins (30 mins with the foil on and 10 mins uncovered, to let it crisp up a little).
- Enjoy!
For more delicious, gut-healthy dishes, check out the recipe section on the Gut Health Express blog!
Any questions? Contact one of our Nutritional Therapists via live chat, weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm.
