Chestnut-Porcini Stuffing

Maybe we should more properly call this dressing: Whether you actually use this to stuff a turkey on Thanksgiving, or bake it outside of the turkey in a casserole or baking dish, it's delicious. It's also extremely forgiving –– use more or less of just about anything in it (onions, celery, chestnuts, mushrooms, herbs, bread. butter, broth), or change up the mushrooms (you can use a mix of dried mushrooms) and it'll still be wonderful. For the chestnuts, you can either roast and peel fresh chestnuts or use pre-cooked and peeled chestnuts that come in a jar. For the porcinis, feel free to use more, if you love them and your budget allows it (they’ve gotten crazy expensive)!

Sometimes we use two eggs rather than one; it makes it more like a savory bread pudding. If you want to do that, cut back on the broth by about 1/4 cup. When we double the recipe, we generally use 3 eggs.

READ: How to achieve succulent, crisp-skinned, dry-brined turkey and all the umami-ful sides

READ: Dry-brine your way to Thanksgiving happiness: Some salt, a bird and a little time is all you need

You can make this entirely ahead, and store it (covered) up to a day in the fridge. Set it in to bake an hour before you want to serve it.

Serves 8 - 12.

Ingredients

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (or more, to taste)

1 stick (4 ounces) butter

1 medium onion, diced

12 ounces (about 6 medium stalks or 1 heart), diced

2 tablespoons chopped sage

4 tablespoons chopped (not too fine) parsley

1 - 3 tablespoons chopped celery leaves (use whatever you have from the celery you diced)

2 tablespoons chopped thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces roasted and peeled or pre-cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped

8 cups dried country French or Italian bread cubes (see note below)

1 1/2 cups chicken broth, or more if necessary

1 egg, lightly beaten

Instructions

1. Reconstitute the dried mushrooms: Place the porcini in a heatproof bowl and pour 1 cup boiling water over them (or a little more), to cover. Let soak 20 minutes, then -- reserving the liquid -- strain out the mushrooms and set them aside.

2. Melt the butter in a very large pot (I usually use a stockpot or a large Dutch oven) over medium-low heat. Add the onion and celery, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 6 or 7 minutes.  Stir in the sage, parsley, celery leaves, thyme, salt and a goodly amount of pepper, cook a minute or so, then add the mushrooms and chestnuts. Cook and stir for 2 or 3 minutes.

3. Remove from heat, add the bread and use two wooden spoons to toss it all together very well. Add the reserved mushroom liquid, the chicken broth and toss well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, then add the egg and toss well to combine. The mixture should be very moist, but not too soaked. If it’s not moist enough, add a little more broth and toss well. (Note: You can prepare the recipe up to this point, and store it, covered, in the fridge until ready to bake.)

4. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Transfer the stuffing to a large casserole or souffle dish, tent it loosely with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes, or until the top is a little crispy.

To make the bread cubes:

You’ll need about 1 1/2 medium-sized country loaves to get 8 cups of bread cubes. Use a bread knife to cut off their crusts (save them to eat with cheese or dip), then cut the bread into one-inch cubes. Set the cubes on a wire rack fitted onto a sheet pan (you’ll probably want two of these set-ups), and put the pans in a not-very-hot (200 degree F) oven for about an hour, or until they don’t feel at all soft in the middle when you squeeze them. If you make them in advance, store them in an airtight container or zipper bag; they’ll keep that way for a few days. If you want to keep them longer, freeze them, and then defrost before making the stuffing.

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