Prune and Apple Stuffing With Sausage and Chestnuts Recipe

By
Niki Achitoff-Gray
Niki Achitoff-Gray
Niki Achitoff-Gray
Niki Achitoff-Gray is the former editor-in-chief at Serious Eats and a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She's pretty big into oysters, offal, and most edible things.
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Updated November 05, 2018
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Photograph: Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Adding chicken stock and egg ensures the stuffing has a moist, tender, custard-like texture.
  • Drying the bread in the oven is faster and more efficient than letting it go stale.
  • Using a potato masher or stiff whisk to break up the sausage is far easier than trying to do it with a knife or spoon.

This wintry stuffing, adapted from Cook's Illustrated, is studded with sweet chestnuts, savory sausage, tart apples, and sherry-soaked prunes. Nutmeg and clove deliver a touch of warming spice, livened up with the herbal aroma of chopped sage. Serve it with turkey, duck, chicken, or, our personal favorite, a crisp-skinned, flavorful roast goose.

Recipe Details

Prune and Apple Stuffing With Sausage and Chestnuts Recipe

Active 25 mins
Total 10 hrs
Serves 6 to 8 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces (170g) pitted prunes, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

  • 1/2 cup (120ml) Amontillado sherry

  • 12 ounces (340g; about 1 loaf) high-quality white sandwich bread or soft Italian or French bread, cut into 1/2-inch dice

  • 4 tablespoons (55g) unsalted butter or 1/3 cup (70g) minced goose fat (see note)

  • 12 ounces (340g) sweet Italian sausage

  • 3 large onions, finely chopped

  • 3 ribs celery, finely chopped

  • 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch chunks

  • 6 ounces (170g) cooked and peeled chestnuts, chopped (about 1 cup; 235ml)

  • 1/2 cup (120ml) homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) minced fresh sage

  • Large pinch ground cloves

  • Large pinch grated nutmeg

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. In a small container, combine prunes and sherry and soak at least 2 hours, and preferably overnight.

  2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 275°F. Arrange bread in a single even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until completely dried, about 50 minutes total, stirring bread cubes several times during baking. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Increase oven heat to 325°F.

  3. Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, melt butter or render reserved goose fat over medium heat, 2-3 minutes. Add sausage and mash with stiff whisk or potato masher to break up into fine pieces (largest pieces should be no greater than 1/4 inch thick). Cook, stirring frequently, until only a few bits of pink remain, about 4 minutes. Add onions, celery, and apples and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chestnuts and prunes with their soaking liquid.

  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together chicken stock, eggs, sage, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until homogeneous. Stirring constantly with wooden spoon, slowly pour egg mixture into sausage mixture. Add bread cubes and fold gently until evenly mixed.

  5. Use part of stuffing to stuff bird if desired (not recommended if making goose, which will yield an extremely fatty, excessively rich stuffing) or transfer to a buttered 9- by 13-inch rectangular baking dish (or 10- by 14-inch oval dish), cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 150°F when inserted into center of dish, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until golden brown and crisp on top, about 15 minutes longer. Serve.

Special equipment

Dutch oven, 9- by 13-inch rectangular baking dish (or 10- by 14-inch oval dish), rimmed baking sheet

Notes

If making this recipe in conjunction with our roast goose, use reserved fat in place of butter. Pat it dry and chill it before mincing.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
412Calories
11gFat
66gCarbs
14gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories412
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g14%
Saturated Fat 5g26%
Cholesterol 48mg16%
Sodium 956mg42%
Total Carbohydrate 66g24%
Dietary Fiber 7g24%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 12mg62%
Calcium 88mg7%
Iron 3mg17%
Potassium 708mg15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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