The No-Egg Stuffing

 

So says Chef Billy from Restaurant Associates. He stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about a little different take on stuffing. This year Billy is making a no-egg, dried fruit stuffing with sourdough, and brioche, chopped apricots, dried cranberries, golden raisins, celery, onions, thyme, sage and chicken stock. He told Tonia you don't need the egg to hold the stuffing together, rather just use less chicken stock, make sure the bread is a little stale, and let the mixture absorb the stock longer. He also adds that using brioche gives the mix a very buttery flavor that really goes well with turkey or any dish! Save the eggs for breakfast!

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

One 1/2 pound of sourdough bread, One 1/2 pound of brioche, slightly stale

3/4 cup mixed chopped dried fruit, such as apricots, cranberries and figs

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1 large apple, such as Golden Delicious, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Cut or tear the bread into bite-size pieces. Divide between 2 rimmed baking sheets and spread into a single layer. Bake until slightly dry and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the dried fruit, sage, thyme, apple, onion, celery, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and parsley and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour into a large bowl.
3. Add the toasted bread to the onion mixture and toss until evenly moistened.Transfer to the prepared baking dish and evenly spread without packing the stuffing down too much. Bake until the top is crusty, about 40 minutes. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle over the top. Continue to bake until the top is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes more. Garnish with parsley and thyme.