Stuffing, A Day in Advance

This is a great stuffing recipe for many reasons, but its number one appeal is that the bulk of the preparation takes place the day before. Toasty hazelnuts, earthy fall mushrooms and the complementary chew of wild rice create a stand-alone dish that harmonizes perfectly with The Bird.

You can use any combination of mushrooms that you please. A mixture of fresh and dried mushrooms works perfectly well; I've thrown in portabellas with black trumpet and porcinis (when you can source them). Be as creative as you like - the more complex the fungi, the more flavorful the stuffing.

As for the bread, I love Iggy's Sourdough, or Clear Flour. When Pigs Fly makes incredible breads, but I haven't tested their sourdough with this recipe. Dried cranberries, essential for that tart sweet component,  can be found at Trader Joe's for a very reasonable price.

Toasting hazelnuts is pretty straightforward, but proceed carefully; the nuts are quite oily and burn easily. I follow an old Gourmet Magazine method to toast and skin the nuts, which is now (of course) located on Epicurious.com.

The recipe that follows is for 6 servings; I generally double this as many of my guests ask (some demand)  the Stuffing for take-away.

Rice

Ingredients:

• 6 cups water
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup wild rice mixture

Method:

Follow directions as advised on package, or allow salted water to boil, add rice, return to roiling boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes, or until rice is tender. Drain and cool.

Toasted Hazelnuts

Method (from epicurious.com)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a baking pan, toast hazelnuts in one layer in middle of oven 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly colored and skins are blistered. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and let steam 1 minute. Rub nuts in towel to remove loose skins (don't worry about skins that don't come off) and cool completely.

Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 4 cups sourdough bread, cubed
• ½ cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 leeks, white and a bit of green part, diced
• 1 cup diced celery
• 3 cups Shiitake, Chanterelle, and Crimini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• 1.5 cups homemade vegetable stock
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
• 1 egg beaten
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Coat a baking pan (8-inch square) with either butter or cooking spray. Combine toasted hazelnuts and bread cubes in large mixing bowl and set aside.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add butter. Once melted and slightly bubbling, add leeks, celery, mushroom mixture and salt and pepper. Sauté about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are quite tender. Add vegetable broth and cranberries and increase heat until simmering. Remove from heat and toss the mixture with fresh herbs.

To the mixing bowl containing bread and nuts, first add beaten egg and toss. Add cooked rice and mix. Add mushroom mixture and mix thoroughly until all the bread is nicely coated. Dispense into baking pan, cover tightly with saran wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. This will allow the flavors to develop and integrate.

The next day, remove from refrigerator 30-60 minutes and allow to come to room temperature.

Bake uncovered at 350F for 35-45 minutes, allow longer cooking time for a crispier top.