Wild Rice, Spiced Pecan, Apple & Sourdough Bread Stuffing
by Michael Brisson
This recipe makes enough stuffing to fill the turkey and to fill an extra baking dish.
Yields 14 cups.
1-lb. loaf sourdough or peasant-style bread
2 cups raw wild rice
2 tsp. plus 1 Tbs. salt
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 medium (4-oz.) onions, cut into small dice (1-1/2 cups)
4 large ribs celery, cut into small dice (1-1/2 cups)
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
1-1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
1-1/2 tsp. white pepper
3 Granny Smith apples
2 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. sugar
1-2/3 cups apple cider
4 large eggs
3/4 cup homemade or low-salt canned chicken broth
1/2 recipe Spiced Pecans, coarsely chopped
(see Spiced Pecans)
Two days ahead:
Trim the crust from the bread and cut the remainder into 1/2-inch dice to get 6 cups. Spread the bread on baking sheets to dry overnight.
One day ahead:
In a large pot, combine the wild rice, 6 cups water, and 2 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook until tender and the kernels start to open, 50 to 55 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain if necessary, and spread out to cool on a baking sheet.
In a large sauté pan, heat 2 Tbs. oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, sauté 4 minutes; add the celery and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the herbs, pepper, and 1 Tbs. salt. Cool in a shallow dish.
Meanwhile, peel, core, and dice the apples. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil and 2 Tbs. butter. When the butter sizzles, add the apples and sprinkle in the sugar. Sauté until the apples begin to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add 2/3 cup of the cider (reserve the rest), scrape up any brown bits, and let the cider reduce for 1 min. Pour the apples and liquid into the onion mixture and let cool completely.
In a large bowl, combine the rice, bread, and apple mixture. Refrigerate.
On the day of serving:
Bring the stuffing to room temperature. Mix the eggs, 1 cup cider, and chicken broth. Fold the liquid into the stuffing mixture and mix well. It will be fairly wet. Fold in the spiced pecans. Follow the directions for stuffing the turkey and baking the extra stuffing in a pan in the Roasted Turkey recipe.
nutrition information (per serving):
Size
:
per 1/2 cup;
Calories
(kcal):
170;
Fat
(g):
9;
Fat Calories
(kcal):
80;
Saturated Fat
(g):
2;
Protein
(g):
4;
Monounsaturated Fat
(g):
5;
Carbohydrates
(g):
19;
Polyunsaturated Fat
(g):
2;
Sodium
(mg):
710;
Cholesterol
(mg):
35;
Fiber
(g):
2;
From Fine Cooking 29
, pp. 28-36
October 1, 1998
