11.16.2012

DRESSING FOR THE OCCASION WITH GREG UPSHUR "THE MUSTANG CHEF"



Greg Upshur and his wife, Therese, in the kitchen of their home in Stockbridge. While he prepares food, she records some of his recipes.

In the cozy confines of his farmhouse kitchen, ‘Mustang Chef’ Greg Upshur prepares a smorgasbord of Thanksgiving stuffings for a variety of tastes...
 
Stuffing Preparations for Specialty Diets from Bill Ford Jr.'s Chef

Traditional With bacon and oysters


"Mustang Chef” Greg Upshur, private chef for Bill Ford Jr., prepares both a traditional stuffing and a surprise stuffing for his family’s annual Thanksgiving dinner. He also makes a regular, “straight-up” turkey gravy and a mushroom gravy.

“The only thing I put in the bird is garlic, apples, onions, salt, pepper, and herbs — all just for flavoring the bird,” he says. “If you do stuff the turkey, it’s best to put it in a warm or even hot oven just before setting the turkey in the oven. A cold stuffing works like an insulator and keeps the bird from roasting properly; this is where people get into trouble with food poisoning.”

Upshur also recommends roasting turkey parts the night before to make a broth to use for stuffing preparation the next day. “That way, you get the real turkey flavor in the stuffing,” he says.

Because Thanksgiving dinner is, by definition, usually too much of a good thing, Upshur says he roasts an additional “breast only” to accommodate the crowd and to provide leftovers for take-homes.


Traditional
With bacon and oysters

(Makes 6 large servings)

Olive oil for sautéing
1 cup crisp bacon, chopped
1 cup oysters (about 8) steamed, shucked, steamed, and chopped
1 onion, finely chopped/diced
3 stalks celery, finely chopped/diced
4 cups French bread, cubed
1/2 cup turkey broth, or more if needed
Splash habanero sauce
1/2 cup combined fresh parsley and chives, chopped fine, and dried sage
Salt and pepper
1 cob of corn kernels, uncooked

Fry bacon. Steam oysters. Sauté vegetables in olive oil. Combine. Fold in the bread cubes. Add broth and seasonings. Fold in corn kernels. Place mixture in a pre-oiled vessel and cover with foil. Bake at 350 for least 40 minutes. If possible, make stuffing early in the day on the same day as the dinner. Uncover when done and re-cover for reheating.


Recipes by Chef Greg Upshur // Photography by Cybelle Codish // Styling by Stephanie Potts

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