NEW ORLEANS —
Wild Mushroom Stuffing
1 lb. loaf of bread (French Bread or Sourdough) torn or cut into one-inch cubes
1/4–1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. fresh mushrooms- shiitake, chanterelles, button, cremini, sliced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 cups leeks, chopped
6-8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
1/4 cup fresh thyme, rosemary or sage, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2– 2 cups stock (add as needed may need more or less)
2 eggs, whisked
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut or tear bread into small bite-szed pieces or cubes, place on baking sheet and place in oven for 15-20 minutes, to lightly toast, or dry.
Heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat in an extra- large heavy bottom pan or Dutch oven. Add mushrooms. Stir mushrooms every few minutes or so for 8- 10 minutes, lowering heat if necessary. Add leeks, fennel, garlic, salt and pepper, and fresh herbs. Continue cooking another 6-7 minutes, over medium-low stirring occasionally.
Deglaze the pan with wine or stock. Let this cook all the way down, stirring up any browned bits, until it’s completely evaporated.
Once the liquid has evaporated, combine this mushroom mixture with cubed bread in a large bowl.
Mix the whisked eggs with 1 1/2 cups of cool stock. Toss this with the mushroom-bread mix. You want the bread nice and moist. Add more stock as needed.
Pour into a greased 8×11 or 9×13 inch baking dish covering with foil for the first 30 minutes. Then uncover, and bake 10 minutes so it turns a nice golden brown.
Scatter with fresh sprigs of rosemary, parsley or thyme.
Stuffing Full of Sausage
2 (12-oz.) loaf French bread
1 lb. breakfast sausage
1/2 cup butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
5 celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup white wine
4 cup chicken or turkey stock
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1 tsp. ground thyme
Cooking spray
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Cut all the bread into 3/4-inch cubes. Divide the bread between two baking sheets. Toast the bread in the oven until evenly dry, 35 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Place the dry bread cubes in a very large bowl. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat until brown and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the sausage to the bowl with the bread cubes. Do not wipe out the skillet.
In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat until foaming. Add the onion, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it is reduced by about half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock, parsley, sage, and thyme, and stir.
Slowly ladle the stock mixture onto the bread cubes, tossing the mixture frequently for even coverage. Salt to taste.
Spray a large casserole pan with cooking spray. Spoon the dressing into the prepared casserole pan and/or the turkey cavity. Bake the casserole for 20 to 30 minutes until golden and crisp on top.