Annie Murray’s Celery, Apricot and Walnut Stuffing
My mum always had the ambition to be a cook, but having left school at fourteen during the Depression of the 1930s and being one of six children, it was straight into a Coventry factory as a filing clerk for her. In the 1970s, she spotted the fact that the French cookery school Cordon Bleu were offering a course, week by week, in magazines you could buy at the newsagent’s. This was her kind of creativity and off she went! Our diet swiftly became more interesting. This turkey stuffing is a recipe she has used ever since and which I now use myself – it is one of the tastes of Christmas for me. It’s easy to make and very handy if you have a vegetarian in the family, as it also makes a very tasty veggie bake.
50 g (2 oz) dried apricots (soaked overnight)
40 g (1½ oz) butter
2 onions, chopped finely
1 small head of celery (thinly sliced)
1½ teacups breadcrumbs
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
Drain apricots and cut each half into 3–4 pieces.
Melt butter in a pan, add the onions, then cover and cook until soft. Add the celery, apricots and walnuts. Cook for about 4 minutes over a brisk heat, stirring continuously, then turn into a bowl. When cool, add the breadcrumbs and parsley. Season to taste.
When ready, insert into turkey!