Recipe: The New Classic Stuffing
A protein-like sausage lends the stuffing those all-important crispy bites, and the fat contributes essential flavor.
Recipe by Claire Saffitz courtesy of Bon Appetit magazine.
- Recipe index: "Sunday Morning"'s 2015 "Food Issue" - Delicious menu suggestions from top chefs and the editors of Bon Appetit magazine
The New Classic Stuffing
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, divided, plus more
10 cups coarsely torn sourdough bread, dried out overnight
⅓ cup blanched hazelnuts
3 Tbsp. olive oil
12 ounces hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 onions, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped sage
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
½ cup dry white wine
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
2 cups turkey or chicken stock (preferably homemade), plus more
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a shallow 3-qt. baking dish and a sheet of foil. Place bread in a very large bowl.
Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop, then add to bowl with bread.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking into small pieces with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, 7-10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread with a slotted spoon.
Add onions, celery, fennel, and sage to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until onions are golden brown and soft, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread.
Reduce heat to medium and cook wine in skillet, scraping up any browned bits, until almost all evaporated, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup butter; cook, stirring, until melted. Drizzle over bread mixture.
Whisk eggs and 2 cups stock in a medium bowl; pour over bread mixture. Season with salt and pepper and toss, adding more stock ¼-cupful at a time as needed (you may not use it all), until combined and bread is hydrated. Transfer to prepared baking dish and dot with remaining ¼ cup butter.
Cover with buttered foil; bake until a paring knife inserted into the center comes out hot, 30-35 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450°. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
Do Ahead: Stuffing can be assembled 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
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