Sausage, Pine Nut and Oyster Stuffing
- Two 1-pound loaves of sourdough bread, crusts removed, bread cut into 1-inch dice (20 cups)
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1 1/2 pounds sausage meat
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons melted
- 6 large celery ribs, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
- 2 large sweet onions, diced
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 dozen medium to large shucked oysters, halved, 1/2 cup liquor reserved
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped thyme
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped marjoram
- 2 1/2 to 3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Butter two 9-by-13-inch baking dishes.
- Spread the bread on 2 large rimmed baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes, stirring a few times, until crisp; let cool.
- Transfer to a very large mixing bowl.
- Meanwhile, spread the pine nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes, until golden brown.
- Increase the oven temperature to 400.
- In a large skillet, cook the sausage meat over moderate heat, breaking it up with a spoon, until no pink remains, about 10 minutes.
- Continue to cook the sausage, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes longer.
- With a slotted spoon, add the sausage to the bread in the bowl.
- Add the 4 tablespoons of solid butter to the fat in the skillet and heat.
- Add the celery and onions, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the onions start to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the celery and onions are completely softened, about 20 minutes.
- Add the wine and simmer over high heat until reduced by three-fourths, about 4 minutes.
- Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
- Add the vegetable mixture and the pine nuts to the bread cubes and sausage and toss.
- Add the oysters and their liquor, the thyme and marjoram and enough stock so that the bread is very moist but not overly soggy; season the stuffing with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dishes.
- Brush the tops of the stuffing with the melted butter.
- Bake the stuffing in the upper third of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until hot.
- Preheat the broiler.
- Broil the stuffing 6 inches from the heat for about 2 minutes, rotating the baking dishes as needed, until nicely browned on top.
- Serve right away.
loaves, pine nuts, sausage meat, unsalted butter, celery, sweet onions, salt, white wine, oysters, thyme, marjoram, chicken stock
Taken from www.foodandwine.com/recipes/sausage-pine-nut-and-oyster-stuffing (may not work)