April 8th, 2012
Recipes by Contributing Food Editor, Paula Bowman Photography by George Whiteside Food Styling by David Grenier Prop Styling by Lara McGraw
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish and set aside.
Divide bread in a single layer on two rimmed sheet pans. Bake until toasted but not browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
If you want to make a variation, now's the time.
For Simple Rustic Stuffing -- Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, garlic, thyme and sage. Cook stirring occasionally until vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Continue with Step 8, using 2/3 cup of stock.
For Fruit and Nut Stuffing -- Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, garlic, thyme and sage. Cook stirring occasionally until vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Add 1/2 cup white wine, 1/4 cup pitted, chopped prunes and 1/4 cup dried cranberries. Simmer until most liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans and mix well. Continue with Step 8, using 2/3 cup of stock.
For Wild Rice and Mushroom Stuffing -- Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, garlic, thyme, sage and 2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, chanterelle). Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Add 1/4 cup Madeira and simmer until most liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice. Continue with Step 8, using 1 1/4 cups stock.
For Fennel and Sage Stuffing -- Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 cup diced fennel and 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in 1/2 pound Italian sausage, removed from casings. Use a wooden spoon to break sausage into small pieces and cook until meat is no longer pink. Continue with Step 8, using 1/2 cup stock.
Pour mixture over bread. Add parsley and half of specified stock to mixture and mix well. Add remaining stock, a little at a time, until bread is moistened but not wet. Season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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