Stuffing (Cup cracker crumbs cup melted)

A small crumb stuffing in the plain New England style, meant for the pocket of a boned shoulder, a crown roast, or a rolled breast of lamb. The quantities are all that is given, so the handling is up to the cook.

• The hinge: mix dry firstToss the crumbs with the salt, pepper and poultry seasoning before any liquid goes in, then add the melted butter, then the boiling water a spoonful at a time. Added in the other order the seasoning streaks and the crumbs turn to paste.
• Cracker crumbsThis means plain soda or water crackers rolled fine, not the sweet graham sort and not dry breadcrumbs. Salted crackers vary a good deal in how salty they are; taste before adding the quarter teaspoon and cut it if the crumbs are already salty.
• Poultry seasoningA commercial blend built on sage with thyme and marjoram, the other components varying by maker; such blends were sold ready-made as well as mixed at home. Half a tablespoon in one cup of crumbs is assertive; if you are mixing your own, sage should dominate but not alone.
• Water quantityA quarter cup of boiling water gives a stuffing that just holds together when pressed, which is what you want for a pocket or a roll. If you are baking it loose in a dish it will want more liquid, or stock rather than water, to keep from drying.
• YieldAbout one cup once mixed. That is a small quantity, enough to fill a modest pocket or roll; double or treble it for a larger joint.
• CookingThe recipe gives no cooking directions. Stuffing sealed inside a roast lags behind the meat, so if you want the joint pink, bake the stuffing separately in a covered dish; stuffing cooked in the joint should reach 165F, which means the meat around it will be well done.