Brown Bread Stuffing with Chestnuts, Apples, and Sausage
TIME/SERVINGS
Total: 45 mins
Active: 15 mins
Makes: 8 servings
By Aïda Mollenkamp
This stuffing is moist inside and crispy on top. The mix of chestnuts, bread, and apples marries fall’s best flavors without being too heavy.
Game plan: The heat and time required to safely cook stuffing that’s packed into a good-size turkey usually results in a breast with the flavor of sawdust. The stuffing should be cooked to 160°F, the same internal temperature required for the turkey, so you’d think it would work perfectly. But when the bird is at 160°F and ready to serve, the stuffing (insulated against the oven heat by the bird) is still undercooked and needs at least another 90 minutes in the oven. Which is why preparing your stuffing separately, as done here, is ideal.
- 1/4 cup duck fat or unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
- 6 slices pumpernickel or dark rye bread (about 1/2 loaf), crusts removed medium dice
- 6 slices wheat bread (about 1/2 loaf), crusts removed and medium dice
- 5 sweet Italian sausages (about 1 pound), casings removed
- 1 medium yellow onion, medium dice
- 1/4 cup torn fresh sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley leaves
- 2 medium stalks celery, medium dice
- 1 teaspoon celery seed (optional)
- 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored, medium dice
- 1 cup coarsely chopped chestnuts
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with duck fat or butter. Place diced bread in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Place a large frying pan over medium heat. Add duck fat to the pan and crumble in sausage. Cook until sausage is lightly browned, stirring to break it up.
- Add onion and sage to the pan and cook, stirring often, until onion is soft and golden, about 5 minutes.
- Add thyme, parsley, celery, celery seed (if using), apples, and chestnuts, and cook until apples are golden, about 3 minutes.
- Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour mixture over diced bread, tossing well to incorporate. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Spoon stuffing into the prepared dish and bake for 30 minutes.
COMMENTS | ADD YOUR OWN
sounds good but where can you buy duckfat?
Make your own duck fat. Buy one of those frozen ducklings that are available now universally. They're delicious. Hold onto the fat that is rendered.
sorry i just was not sure if it was something avail in specialty stores kinda like buying lard in chunks thanks
foodperv: you can find duckfat at most high-end butchers or you can special order it from some gourmet grocery stores. if that fails you, it is available online through dartagnan - https://www.dartagnan.com/search.asp?...
wow thanks that is great