Sausage and pear stuffing with chestnuts and prunes

11 cups

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
3 tablespoons Butter plus extra for baking dish and foil
8 ounces Bulk pork or chicken-apple sausage
1 medium Onion, (1 cup)
Coarsely chopped
2 Firm pears, peeled
Cut in 1/2\" chunks
1 large Tart apple (Granny Smith)
Peeled, cut in 1/2\" chunks
¼ cup Brandy
2 larges Eggs, lightly beaten
1½ cup Chicken stock
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Pepper
⅛ teaspoon Grated nutmeg
1 cup Cooked peeled chestnuts
Fresh or canned
6 cups Dried bread cubes
½ cup Pitted prunes
Cut in1/2\" chunks
½ cup Walnuts, toasted
Coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Heat 1 tbs butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking meat up into small pieces, until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Transfer sausage to small bowl with slotted spoon; set aside. Discard fat; return skillet to burner. Heat remaining butter over medium-low heat; add onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add pears and apple; continue to cook over low heat onion begins to brown, 10-12 minutes. Increase heat to high, add brandy, and cook until reduced by half. Remove pan from heat; cool mixture to room temperature.

2. Whisk eggs, stock, salt and pepper and nutmeg in large bowl. Add sausage, cooled fruit mixture, chestnuts, bread cubes, prunes, and walnuts; toss gently to coat. Adjust seasonings to taste.

3. Place stuffing into buttered shallow baking dish; bake at 350øF, covered with buttered aluminum foil, until knife inserted into center feels warm to the touch, 25-40 minutes depending on amount of stuffing. Uncover and bake until top crisps slightly, 5-10 minutes.

Cook's Illustrated

Dec 1995

Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 11-05-95

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