Rye Bread Stuffing with Braised Shallots, Italian Sausage, Crispy Sage and Rosemary
Recipe Date:
September 20, 2022
Serving Size:
6
Cook Time:
01:45:00
Difficulty:
Medium
Measurements:
Imperial (US)
Braised shallots and rye bread add complex layers to a Thanksgiving favorite, allowing a bold red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon to become the perfect pairing.
Ingredients
- 1 lb loaf of rye bread
- 1 sourdough baguette cut into cubes (roughly six cups)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 1/2 lbs uncooked italian sausage
- 6 medium shallots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, plus a bit more for greasing
- 4 cups beef stock (plus more if needed)
- 1 sprig rosemary
- For the crisped herbs:
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 3 sprigs sage
- A drizzle of EVOO
Directions
Start by cutting all of the bread into small cubes and leaving out overnight, covered with a tea towel, to get stale.
Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Toss the cut bread with the EVOO. Toast in one even layer on a baking sheet for 25-30 minutes at 325°F. Remove the bread from the oven and set aside.
- In a large pan brown the sausage, breaking up and stirring occasionally, until cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan begin melting the ¼ cup of butter. Add the shallots to the butter and cook on medium heat until the shallots are aromatic and sizzling with the butter. Pour in the beef stock, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Strip the leaves from the rosemary sprig and add to the simmering beef stock and shallots. Allow the shallots to braise in the beef stock for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the toasted bread, browned sausage, and all of the beef stock with the shallots. Stir well to combine, season with salt and pepper, and add more stock if the bread still seems dry.
- Grease a glass baking dish (9x12”) with a tablespoon of butter before adding in the stuffing mixture. Cover first with parchment, then foil, and bake at 325°F for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and keep covered until ready to serve.
- To make the crispy herbs, turn the oven up to 375°F. Strip the rosemary leaves from the sprigs and pick the sage leaves away from the stems as well.
- Toss the herbs together with a small drizzle of EVOO on an unlined baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until crispy. Season with fine sea salt right when they come out of the oven, then set aside. This can be done hours ahead of time if needed.
- Serve the stuffing in the baking dish with a scattering of the crispy sage and rosemary.
Take a look at our recommended pairing below.
