Basic Ingredients of Dressings

Appears in
Professional Cooking: 10th Edition
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2025

  • About
  1. Starch base, such as bread or rice.
  2. Aromatic vegetables, generally onions and celery.
  3. Fat, such as butter or chicken fat, for sautéing the vegetables and for providing richness. Dressings for chicken and turkey, which are lean, may require more fat than dressings for duck and goose, which are fatty.
  4. Liquid, usually stock, to provide moisture.
  5. Seasonings, herbs, and spices.
  6. Eggs, sometimes added as a binder but not always necessary.
  7. Other ingredients for flavor, character, and bulk, such as:

    Sausage

    Oysters

    Giblets

    Chestnuts

    Fruits

    Nuts