Photo by Beatriz DaCosta
|
Savory Bread Stuffing
By Arthur Boehm
|
(Makes 8 to 10 cups)
Here's a stuffing that's delicious as is—or you can gussy it up using a variation below. The bread is toasted to make the stuffing more flavorful and somewhat dryer. Skip this step if you prefer a moister stuffing. The egg makes the stuffing firm; omit it, if you prefer a looser stuffing.
- 1 pound, French, Italian, or sliced white bread, with crusts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, to make about 10 cups lightly packed cubes
- 4 to 8 tablespoons (1/2 to 1 stick), unsalted butter
- 2 cups, chopped onions
- 1 cup, finely chopped celery
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup, chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon, minced fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 tablespoon, minced fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon, salt, plus additional, if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon, freshly ground black pepper, plus additional, if needed
- 1/4 teaspoon, freshly grated or ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon, ground cloves
- 1/3 to 1 cup, homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock, plus additional, if needed
- 1 to 2 large eggs (optional), plus additional, if needed, beaten
Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place bread on a baking sheet, and toast it, if desired, turning occasionally, until it's golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer the bread to a large bowl.
In a large, heavy skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat until the foam subsides. Add the onions and celery, and sauté, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat, and stir in the parsley, sage, thyme, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir into the bread, and toss until well combined. Add the chicken stock gradually, and egg(s), if using, until the stuffing is lightly moist but not packed. Use additional stock and/or egg, if necessary. Correct the seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Stuff and roast the bird as directed above; bake extra stuffing in a buttered dish.
Toasted-Nut and Dried-Fruit Stuffing
Add 1/2 to 1 cup of toasted and coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts, or Brazil nuts and 1/2 cup of dried fruit, such as cranberries, yellow raisins, cherries, or dried prunes to the stuffing with the other seasonings.
Sausage and Apple Stuffing
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook 1 pound bulk sausage, or an equal amount of sweet Italian or other mild sausage, until no longer pink, breaking up the meat as it cooks, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove it to paper towels to drain. Reserve 2 tablespoons of fat in the skillet, and use it to cook 4 cups of diced peeled green apples, such as Granny Smith, stirring until tender, about 10 minutes. Add to the stuffing when tossing the bread with the other seasonings.
|
