Dried Cranberry, Apricot & Fig Stuffing

This light stuffing is a nice counterpoint to the many rich dishes on the Thanksgiving table. Photo to the left by Tim Morris.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

3 cups chopped onions (about 1 pound)

2 cups chopped celery (4 to 5 stalks)

1 pound Granny Smith apples (about 2 medium), peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram

1 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth

1/2 cup diced dried apricot

1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1/2 cup diced stemmed dried figs

12 cups (generous) 1-inch cubes day-old pain rustique or ciabatta bread with crust (about 1 1/4 pounds)

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1 coarsely ground black pepper

1. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery. Sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Add apples and all herbs. Sauté until apples just begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to medium bowl, cover, and chill.

2. Mix 1 cup broth and dried fruit in bowl. Let soak at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide bread between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until bread is crusty but not hard, reversing sheets after 5 minutes, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer to very large bowl and cool.

4. Butter 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Stir vegetable mixture into bread. Whisk eggs, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend; whisk in broth and dried fruit mixture. Add egg mixture to stuffing, tossing to combine evenly and adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish.

5. Bake stuffing uncovered until cooked through and brown and crusty on top, 50 to 60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.