Email to Cat      

Thanksgiving: Bread Dressing with Celery

Source of Recipe

From "Williams-Sonoma: Thanksgiving" by Chuck Williams


Recipe Introduction

"Some folks define dressing as stuffing that is cooked outside of the bird in a baking dish, although in many regions the two terms are interchangeable. The advantage to baking the dressing in a separate container is that it allows for faster roasting and more accurate timing of the turkey. When dressing is baked in a well-buttered dish, it acquires lots of crisp brown crust that contrasts deliciously with the rich, moist interior."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ ¾ cup unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
â—¦ 4 cups (1 ¼ pounds) finely chopped yellow onion
â—¦ 2 cups finely chopped celery, including some leafy tops
â—¦ 5 teaspoons poultry seasoning
â—¦ 2 teaspoons dried thyme
â—¦ 3 pounds firm white sandwich bread slices, 2 or 3 days old
â—¦ 5 eggs
â—¦ 6 cups (48 fl oz) chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
â—¦ ½ cup minced fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
â—¦ Salt and freshly ground pepper


Recipe

In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the ¾ cup butter. Add the onion, celery, poultry seasoning, and thyme. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Using a serrated knife, trim the crusts from the bread and cut the slices into ½-inch cubes. In a very large bowl, combine the bread and the onion mixture.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Whisk in the stock. Stir the stock mixture into the bread mixture. Add the parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons pepper. Stir well, breaking down the bread cubes to form a soft mass.

To bake the dressing alongside a turkey in a 325° F oven, generously grease a 4-quart baking dish. Spoon the dressing into the prepared dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until the dressing is steaming hot, lightly browned on top, and well browned on the sides and bottom but still moist, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Serve hot.

To bake the dressing in a turkey, loosely stuff the turkey's cavities with dressing and truss the larger opening; increase the roasting time of the turkey by 35 to 45 minutes. Generously butter a baking dish large enough to hold the remaining dressing and spoon in the dressing. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake alongside the turkey for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until the dressing is steaming hot, lightly browned on top, and well browned on the sides and bottom but still moist, another 30 to 35 minutes, depending on the size of the baking dish. Serve hot.

Makes 8 to 10 servings