Auberge Cranberry And Sausage Stuffing With Chestnuts And Orange Food

CHESTNUT, BACON & CRANBERRY STUFFING

Steps:

• Soak the cranberries in the port for an hour. Fry the onion and bacon gently in the butter, until the onion is tender and the bacon is cooked. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so.
• Cool slightly, then mix with all the remaining ingredients, including the cranberries and port, adding enough egg to bind - I find it easiest to use my hands. Fry a knob of stuffing in a little butter, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• To Cook: This stuffing can be baked in a dish, or rolled into balls that will be crisp on the outside and moist inside. To bake, press the stuffing into a greased ovenproof dish in a layer that is around 4cm thick. Bake at 190C/gas 5/fan 170C for about 40 minutes, until browned and, in the case of sausagemeat stuffing, cooked right through. Alternatively, roll into balls that are about 4cm in diameter. Roast the stuffing balls in hot fat (they can be tucked around the turkey or done in a roasting tin of their own) for 30-40 minutes, until crisp and nicely browned on the outside.

SAUSAGE AND CRANBERRY BAKED STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place bread cubes in baking dish.
• In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage, celery and onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain.
• Add sausage mixture, sage and cranberries to baking dish; mix lightly with bread cubes. In medium bowl, beat broth, milk and eggs with fork or wire whisk until well mixed; pour over bread and stir gently to soak all bread cubes in milk mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 12 hours.
• Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean and top is golden brown.

CHESTNUT AND CRANBERRY DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 2 1/2 - 3 quart backing dish.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the stock until steam starts to rise, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add dried cranberries. Set aside.
• In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add onion, celery and carrots and saute, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl.
• If using, in same pan, saute the sausage, stirring and crumbling with a fork, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the bowl with vegetables.
• In a large bowl, stir the egg while slowly pouring in the stock and cranberries. Add the bread and toss until well blended. Let standing, stirring occasionally, until the stock is absorbed, 6-8 minutes.
• Add the vegetable mixture, chestnuts, sage, thyme and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and stir well to mix. Transfer to prepared baking dish and bake until browned and crispy, about 45-50 minutes.

AUBERGE CRANBERRY AND SAUSAGE STUFFING WITH CHESTNUTS AND ORANGE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pan and gently fry the chopped shallots, rosemary & thyme leaves together for about 10 minutes or until shallots are soft & golden.
• Tip them into a large bowl & add the celery tops, bread, apples, chestnuts, cranberries & orange zest.
• Divide the sausage meat into small balls the size of walnuts.
• Fry in the juices from the shallots in the same pan until the pieces are golden & well cooked.
• Add to the bowl with the other ingredients.
• Stir to mix well, mashing all the ingredients together with the back of a fork.
• Season with salt & black pepper.
• Use the stuffing to stuff the neck end of a large chicken or turkey.
• Put the remaining stuffing into a well greased ovenproof dish & cover with buttered foil.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven 180C/360F or Gas mark 4 for about 45 minutes or until well cooked through.
• You can remove the foil for the last 15 minutes to brown the top if you wish.
• Makes enough stuffing to stuff a 12-14 lb turkey.

SAUSAGE, DRIED CRANBERRY AND APPLE STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Saute the sausage in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, crumbling coarsely with the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage and drippings to a large bowl. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, apples, celery and poultry seasoning to the skillet and saute until the leeks are soft, about 8 minutes. Mix in the drained cranberries, sage and rosemary. Add the mixture to the sausage, then mix in the croutons and parsley. Next add the chicken stock a little at a time until the stuffing is very moist. Be sure not to overdo it; it shouldn't be mushy. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a casserole dish. (The stuffing can be made to this point 2 days before Thanksgiving, refrigerated.)
• Bake in a 14-inch oval or 9 by 13-inch rectangular casserole dish and place, uncovered, in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the top is crispy and the center piping hot. Remove and serve immediately.

SAUSAGE & CRANBERRY STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cook the onion in the butter until soft but not browned. Add the breadcrumbs and stir so they soak up all the excess butter and fat. Let the mixture cool. Tip into a bowl with the sausagemeat, apple, cranberries, pistachios, sage and mixed spice. Mix well, then roll into balls. You can now cover and chill for up to a day before cooking.
• To cook, place in a roasting tin and bake for 40 mins, turning a few times, or until browned all over. Add the bay leaves, if using, for the final ten minutes of cooking.