STUFFING!

THERE ARE MANY schools of thought on dressing: corn bread, white bread, sour-dough bread, dried, fresh, store bought (never!) . . . you see the dilemma. However, in this day and age, some of us prefer to make our own, which is really quite simple. 

About a week before Thanksgiving (here I am, going on again about the week or two before the main event!), take approximately 1/2 loaf of stale bread or a dozen or so dinner rolls - any old bread will do, really - and cut everything up into a nice medium-sized dice (like croutons). I use any and every piece of leftover bread I have in the house. One year, I even used raisin bread with cinnamon swirls. You can season them or not - it's your decision - and place the lot on top of a rimmed roasting pan lined with parchment and bake in a 225º oven for about one hour. Leave the "croutons" in the oven for about 4 hours or over night to dry even more. This will keep in a sealed plastic container indefinitely.

Now that we have the bread, let's add the rest.

3 cups stuffing (I toss my stuffing with oregano, thyme and olive oil and salt and pepper before I dry the cubes in the oven)
2 apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
18 dried apricots, coarsely chopped
12 prunes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 medium onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 prosciutto cubes
3 Italian sausage links sliced
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 bunch fresh sage, chopped
2 tsp dried powdered sage
3 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken or turkey broth

Mix all ingredients in a very large bowl, except the liquids. Add the liquids gradually and gauge the absorption rate with each mixing. You want to make it moist and pliant but not oozing with milk or broth. Less is more here.

Let rest to congeal for about 30 minutes. If you make it the night before, make sure it is room temperature before you stuff the turkey.