Real Sage & Onion Stuffing

I’m posting this as I reckon 90% of all sage and onion stuffing is made with Paxo, which is crazy when it’s such a simple thing to make. The boy is a traditionalist and a Sunday roast is an unmovable feast in our house.

My Mum used to make a version of this but also used a small box of Paxo so it was half hers and half Paxo’s. No need.

500g white onions, chopped

125g fresh white breadcrumbs

60g butter or dripping

3tbsp sage, chopped

Salt and pepper

The boy has chopped the onions and predictably, they made him cry. Pat him on the shoulder and say “there, there”. I think they need to be the white onions rather than the red ones.  I actually don’t measure any of this out but give the above as a rough guide. It’s about 2 medium onions.

Grate the bread coarsely or give it a quick whiz in the food processor, but don’t get it too fine, This is easiest if you use yesterday’s bread.

Gently fry the onions in the butter or dripping so they are very soft but not browned. I don’t let the boy do this as I don’t want them crispy!

Sophie Grigson recommends pouring boiling water over the sage and letting it sit for one minute to tone down the medicinal taste. I probably wouldn’t do this if using shop-bought hothouse sage, but the stuff from the garden is quite potent.

Put the breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl and add the (drained) sage and salt and pepper – plenty. Tip in the onions with all of their cooking fat from the pan.

Mix well and stuff your meat. The boy prefers the stuffing separate, rather than inside a chicken or rolled in a meat joint. In this case, gently add a little boiling water, mixing the stuffing well until it is just moist and plumped up. Let it sit for 10 minutes then put in a greased tin and dot with butter. Put it in with the roast for the last 20 minutes until it crisps up on top.

Make the boy his Sunday Bloody Mary while you wait for it to cook