Ed Lauber’s Sausage and Chestnut Stuffing
Ingredients:
6 cups 1-inch stale bread cubes, white or cornbread
6 Tablespoons sweet butter (reserve 1 tablespoon for greasing the pan)
3 medium leeks, cleaned, white part only (save the green tops for making broth) and thinly sliced (2 cups)
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced (1 ½ cups)
2 Tablespoons fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
¾ pound sausage, half sweet, half Italian hot, casings removed
¼ cup cooked giblets, finely chopped
½ cup roasted chestnuts, diced
2 teaspoons Bell’s seasoning
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt, more if needed
1 teaspoon black pepper, more if needed
1 ½ cup homemade chicken broth, more if needed. (Only use commercial chicken broth if you are desperate!)
¼ cup dry Vermouth
¼ cup celery leaves or Italian parsley, or a mixture of both, coarsely chopped
Cooking instructions:
Preheat oven to 350⁰ F
1. Put breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl.
2. Use 1 Tablespoon butter to grease a shallow 1 ½ quart baking dish or an 8-inch pan or cast-iron skillet.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized skillet melt 4 Tablespoons butter.
4. Add leeks and celery and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes until vegetables are softened.
5. Add sage and cook another 2 minutes.
6. Add mixture to the breadcrumbs.
7. In the same skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until browned and cooked through, breaking up sausage into equal sized pieces while cooking, for approximately 10 minutes.
8. Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage bites and add to stuffing mixture.
9. Add giblets and chestnut pieces and mix.
10. Add the seasoning, salt and pepper to bowl and mix thoroughly.
11. Add chicken broth and Vermouth. Moisten all the breadcrumbs. Add more liquid, if necessary, but don’t let it get mushy.
12. Add celery leaves or parsley and mix thoroughly.
13. Spoon mixture into baking dish, dot with remaining 1 Tablespoon butter, and cover with foil.
14. Bake for 15 minutes, then removed foil and cook another 15 minutes until browned on top.
Serves: 4 to 6