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Thanksgiving: Focaccia Stuffing with Chestnuts, Bacon & Apples

Source of Recipe

From "Williams-Sonoma: The Best of Thanksgiving"


List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 pound loaf focaccia
â—¦ ¾ pound bacon, diced
â—¦ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
â—¦ 1 yellow onion, diced
â—¦ 2 ribs celery, diced
â—¦ 2 Gala apples, peeled, cored, and diced
â—¦ 1 tablespoon each chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, sage, and thyme
â—¦ ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ Freshly ground pepper
â—¦ 1 cup (4 ounces) coarsely chopped vacuum-packed peeled chestnuts
â—¦ 3 to 4 cups turkey stock, chicken stock, or low-sodium poultry broth, warmed


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 250° F. Butter a 2 ½-quart or 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cut the bread into ½-inch cubes with crust intact. (You will have about 10 cups of cubes.) Spread the bread cubes on two rimmed baking sheets and dry in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Raise the oven temperature to 375° F.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté the bacon until crisp and browned, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan.

In the same pan over medium heat, warm the oil with the bacon fat. Add the onion, celery, apples, herbs, salt, and pepper to taste, and sauté until the vegetables and apples are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the chestnuts and bacon. Transfer the mixture to a very large bowl, add the bread cubes, and stir until well mixed. Stir in the stock ½ cup at a time, making sure it is completely absorbed into the bread and has not pooled in the bottom of the bowl. Taste a bread cube; it should be moist throughout but not mushy. You may not need all of the stock.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Cover with a lid or buttered sheet of aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top is golden brown and crisp, 25 to 35 minutes more. Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 10 to 12