Printable Recipe: Wild Mushroom Stuffing with Hazelnuts

Recipe for Wild Mushroom Stuffing with Hazelnuts

Just one bite of this wonderful turkey stuffing recipe will create a chorus of moans around the table-- it's that good. The flavors here whisper "autumn" and "comfort" to some deep, sleepy part of the brain. It's a wonderful accompaniment to a Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey. Be forewarned, though, that's this bread stuffing recipe is really for mushroom lovers. The mushrooms here don't hide quietly in the background... they're the stars of this dish, giving it a beautiful dark color and rich, earthy flavor.

Recipe makes enough to feed about 12, or stuff a 24 lb. turkey (add less liquid if stuffing a turkey). Turn this into a make-ahead turkey stuffing by preparing it up to step 9. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours, then bring to room temperature before baking as directed. Bread cubes can be prepared up to a week ahead of time. Just seal in plastic bags until ready to use.

Ingredients:
1 loaf (1 3/4 lbs.) challah bread
2 C. chicken broth
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 C. chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1/3 C. unsalted butter
3 leeks, thoroughly cleaned, chopped
1 C. chopped shallots
4 cloves garlic, minced
20 oz. crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 C. chopped celery
1 C. chopped Italian parsley
3 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme (3 tsp. dried)
2 tbsp. chopped fresh sage (2 tsp. dried)
1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary (1/2 tsp. dried)
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 large eggs

Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

2. Trim crusts from challah and slice into 3/4 inch cubes. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool. Place in a large mixing bowl.

3. In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of chicken broth to a simmer. Remove from heat and add dried porcini mushrooms. Let soak about 30 minutes, until softened. Remove from liquid and chop coarsely, reserving broth for later.

4. In a very large skillet, melt butter. Add leeks and shallots, and cook about 5 minutes, until softened. Add fresh mushrooms. Cook about 10 minutes more, until tender.

5. Add celery, garlic, and porcini mushrooms to the skillet. Cook about 5 minutes more.

6. Add mushroom mixture to bread cubes in large mixing bowl. Add toasted hazelnuts and seasonings, including salt and pepper to taste. Stir.

7. Add eggs. Stir well to combine.

8. Bit by bit, pour in reserved mushroom broth until mushroom stuffing reaches the desired level of moistness. You won't want to use more than 1 1/2 cups, total. Use only enough liquid to moisten the stuffing; no more.

9. Dump stuffing into a large, buttered casserole dish.

10. Bake, covered in buttered foil, in a preheated 325 degree F oven until heated through, about 1 hour.

11. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes more, until crisp on top.

12. Watch all of your mushroom-loving guests drool over one of the best turkey stuffing recipes they'll ever try.