Umami Stuffing Food

BASIC STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Melt 1 stick butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 cups each diced onions and celery, 2 chopped apples and 1 tablespoon each minced sage and thyme; season with salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes. Add 3 cups chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Whisk 2 eggs with 1/4 cup chopped parsley in a large bowl; add 16 cups cubed stale country white bread, then pour in the vegetable-broth mixture and toss. Transfer to a buttered 3-quart baking dish and dot with more butter. Cover and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until golden, 20 more minutes.

THE BEST STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon and breaking up any clumps, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.
• Add the wine to the skillet and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated, scraping up any browned bits, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet, and then add the mushrooms. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms brown and have cooked down to about half their original volume, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the sausage.
• Melt the remaining 7 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Then add the celery, onions, sage and thyme and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer.
• Beat the eggs and parsley in another large bowl. Add the bread cubes and toss. Add the reserved sausage and mushrooms and toss together. Pour in the vegetables and broth and toss again until evenly coated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Then uncover and continue to bake until golden, about 30 minutes more. Garnish with celery leaves if using.

UMAMI STUFFING

Steps:

• If the sausage is link and not bulk, remove the casings and mince. In a large skillet, brown the sausage and drain away the fat.
• Return the meat to the pan, and add the butter, mushrooms, celery and onion; saute for 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender.
• Stir in the spices.
• Do NOT drain away the butter and sweat from the vegetables. Put the croutons in a large bowl and fold the contents of the pan in, giving the croutons some moisture.
• Add the broth about a quarter cup at a time, otherwise the stuffing will turn to mush. Taste the mixture from time to time; if the consistency and flavor seem right to you, stop adding the broth.
• Place the mixture in a 2-quart baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
• Uncover and bake for 20 minutes more.

SEA SCALLOPS WITH CHILI SAUCE

Steps:

• In small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Rub seasoning mixture over scallops.
• In large, heavy skillet, over medium heat, melt 1 tbs. butter. Cook scallops 2 minutes on each side or until golden and opaque. Remove from skillet; keep warm.
• Add wine or broth to skillet, stirring to loosen any browned bits from pan. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in remaining butter until melted. Serve with scallops.

BRIOCHE STUFFING WITH MUSHROOMS AND BACON

Steps:

• Toast the brioche: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Cut the brioche into 1-inch cubes. Spread them out into a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake them, tossing once, until dry to the touch and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Set them aside to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 375°F.
• Cook the bacon: In a large cold skillet, add the bacon in a single layer. Set the heat to medium heat, and fry until the bacon is crisp, flipping them once, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the bacon onto a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Once the bacon is cool enough to handle, roughly chop it. If needed, remove excess bacon grease from the skillet, leaving behind about 2 tablespoons. The rest of the grease can be stored for another use. Set the heat to medium heat.
• Sauté the vegetables: Add the butter, onion, and celery. Sauté until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add all but 1 teaspoon of the parsley (it will be used for garnish) along with the sage and thyme. Toss to combine.
• Assemble the stuffing: Grease a 2 to 2 1/2-quart or 9x9-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, add the toasted brioche, chopped bacon, cooked vegetables, eggs, 1 1/2 cups broth, and salt. Scrape in any liquids left in the skillet too. Gently toss to combine. Add more broth as needed, 1/4 cup at a time, to hydrate the bread without making the mixture too soupy.
• Bake the stuffing: Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover it tightly with foil. Bake it until the stuffing is puffed and bubbly, about 25 minutes, then remove the foil. Bake it uncovered until browned on the top, about 20 minutes.