Use a mix of the best wild mushrooms available. They elevate the stuffing from simple to sensational. Photo to the left by Tim Morris.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound assorted fresh wild mushrooms (such as chanterelle, stemmed shiitake, and crimini), cut into ½-inch dice (about 9 cups)
3 cups chopped onions (about 1 pound)
2 cups chopped celery (4 to 5 stalks)
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons lchopped fresh thyme
1 5-ounce container or bag baby spinach leaves
12 cups (generous) 1-inch cubes day-old pain rustique or ciabatta bread with crust (about 1 ¼ pounds)
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1. Melt ¼ cup butter with olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced wild mushrooms and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until mushrooms are tender and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to large bowl.
2. Melt remaining ½ cup butter in same skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes. Add all herbs; sauté 1 minute longer. Add spinach and toss until just wilted, about 1 minute. Add vegetable mixture to bowl with mushrooms. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill.
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 well; whisk in 1 cup broth. Add egg mixture to stuffing, tossing to combine evenly and adding more broth by ¼ 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.
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