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Stuffing recipe full of flavour!
I hate all these no-carb diets and I ate how so many people talk about white bread.
Just like leather, there are many grades of white bread.
Have you been to Italy or France lately? If you stop by any bakery you’ll pretty much see only white bread on the shelves. Some bakeries do have multi-grain, rye or whole wheat breads, but a solid 90% of breads sold in Italian and French bakeries are white.
It’s funny how Italians and the French eat white bread with almost every meal and they still manage to remain thin (unless they start eating the North American diet or start going to the prevalent American fast food restaurants that have found their way to the European culinary landscape).
The reality is that most breads you find in Italian and French bakeries are made with very few ingredients and if you were so inclined to follow those recipes and making them at home … you most likely could.
I will soon have to create a video showing readers the difference in quality of bread.
I have a strict rule when it comes to bread (white and whole wheat because there are more and more “bad” breads disguising themselves as healthy by adding a few scoops of whole wheat flour): If you can easily squeeze the loaf of bread as you would a sponge … WALK AWAY!
Good quality bread made with good ingredients is dense. It’s solid and it’s not that easy to squeeze.
Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I will buy two loaves of bread soon (one cheap one and the brand I usually buy) and I will show you a live demonstration.
Just in case you were wondering if I ate white bread or not … I do! I only eat white bread from bakeries where I know quality is paramount and the list of ingredients is clean. I will never hesitate to travel to buy my bread … NEVER!
In each city in North America you find bread makers who are passionate about their craft.
I’m lucky to live in a city where there are a lot of amazing bread makers and bakers.
St. John’s Bakery is one of them. They have on staff a Flavia Poon who used to work in some of the top kitchens in the city (Susur and Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar, both restaurants are located in Toronto).
Ms. Flavia Poon is passionate about good bread and she’s passionate about good quality ingredients.
There are many fans of Ms Poon who make the weekly pilgrimage on Saturday morning to the St. John’s Bakery to buy her breads, scones, madeleines (my favourites) and seasonal tarts.
All of the breads at St John’s Bakery are made with organic ingredients and they are made in the traditional French method.
Since so many of us will be busy preparing the traditional holiday meal that includes stuffing, I thought why not feature this delicious stuffing recipe made with organic sourdough bread!
I know you can buy boxed stuffing, but nothing beats a homemade stuffing. You cannot beat the quality of the ingredients, the flavour, the aroma and the contentment of your guests when they taste your concoction!
Once you read the list of ingredients in this healthy stuffing and once you see that it’s not all that complicated to make your own stuffing, I truly hope this motivates you to give up your boxed stuffing or those store bought ones that also have questionable ingredient lists.
St John’s Sourdough Stuffing recipe by Flavia Poon
>>>INGREDIENTS<<<
1 loaf (about 1 ½ pounds) white sourdough or country-style bread
½ pound cooked chestnuts (The chestnuts are optional. You can also buy vacuum-packed chestnuts that have already been cooked to save on time since chestnuts are a bit tricky to cook. I do love my home-cooked chestnuts, but I will admit that getting rid of the shell is a bit of a pain).
1 ½ cups of pitted prunes cut in quarters
3 McIntosh apples (peeled, cored and diced)
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (aka Italian parsley)
2 Tsp cup of finely chopped fresh sage or ½ tsp of dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 ½ tsp kosher salt (or sea salt)
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 large diced onion
4 diced stalks of celery
2 cups of chicken broth
>>>PREPARATION<<<
1. Trim the crusts off the bread.
2. Cut the bread into ¾ inch cubes.
3. Place the bread cubes into an extra-large bowl.
4. Using the flat side of a large knife blade, gently press down on the chestnuts (if you use them in the recipe) to create large chunks.
5. Add the chestnuts to the bowl, along with the prunes, apples, parsley, sage, thyme, salt and pepper.
6. Toss the ingredients to combine well.
7. In a large skillet or sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
8. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
9. Stir in the chicken broth, increase the heat, and bring the broth just up to a gentle boil – at this stage, if you are planning to stuff a turkey, make sure your turkey is seasoned and ready to be stuffed, trussed and placed in the oven.)
10. Transfer the vegetables and broth mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
11. Using a large spatula, stir the ingredients to combine well.
12. Loosely stuff the neck and body cavities of the turkey and proceed with your turkey recipe (in order words, it’s time to you to season your turkey the way you would normally before cooking it).
13. This stuffing recipe (or any leftovers that don’t fit into the turkey cavities) can also be baked on its own. Transfer the hot stuffing to a greased baking dish. Cover loosely with a sheet of foil.
14. Bake in a 375 F (190 Celsius) oven for 30 minutes.
15. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the top is lightly browned (about 10 to 15 minutes).
Recipe from Edible Magazine
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