Spiced Apple-Sausage Stuffing With Cranberries and Brandy

- Total Time
- About 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1cup dried cranberries
- ¼cup brandy
- 4pounds ground pork (or substitute ground turkey)
- 5½teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
- 5½teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼teaspoon ground cloves
- 3garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2½teaspoons grated ginger root
- 6tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4medium leeks, white and light-green part only, finely chopped
- 2celery stalks, sliced
- 2bay leaves
- 2½teaspoons whole coriander seed
- 4medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch chunks
- 2tablespoons cider vinegar
Preparation
- Step 1
In a small pot, bring cranberries, brandy and 3 tablespoons water to a simmer. Turn off heat and let stand until ready to use.
- Step 2
In a large bowl, using your hands, mash and squeeze together the pork, 5 teaspoons each of salt and pepper, the cinnamon and cloves. Make sure spices are evenly distributed. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic and ginger root.
- Step 3
In a very large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add leeks, celery, bay leaves and coriander; cook, stirring, until vegetables are almost softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the apples and remaining ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes more. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Add vinegar to cranberry mixture.
- Step 4
Add another tablespoon oil to same skillet over medium-high heat. Add a third of the garlic-ginger mixture and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add a third of the pork and brown, breaking up with a fork, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add a third of the cranberries and their liquid; cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan, until most liquid has evaporated. Spoon pork into bowl with apple mixture; repeat two more times with remaining ingredients. Toss everything together; taste and add more salt if necessary.
Private Notes
Comments
Delicious flavors. We wanted a dressing casserole instead of stuffing, with bread, so: Reduce amount of pork to 2 or 3 pounds; Cube a loaf of ciabatta bread and toast on cookie sheets for about 30 minutes, 250 degree oven, til lightly crisp. About 8 cups or so. Can do day ahead. After step 4, whisk 2 eggs + 2 cups stock. When ready to bake, toss with bread cubes and pork mixture. Turn out into buttered casserole. Bake on cookie sheet, covered til hot (45 mins?) then uncovered til crispy.
Fabulous! Tasty, lighter than trad bread stuffing. I made half, for a small bird & cooked on the side in a casserole. Froze leftovers & they thawed beautifully.
My new go to stuffing.
Where's the bread?
Why is this called a sausage stuffing?
Yield: About 12 cups, enough to stuff a 12- to 14-pound turkey
Delicious flavors. We wanted a dressing casserole instead of stuffing, with bread, so: Reduce amount of pork to 2 or 3 pounds; Cube a loaf of ciabatta bread and toast on cookie sheets for about 30 minutes, 250 degree oven, til lightly crisp. About 8 cups or so. Can do day ahead. After step 4, whisk 2 eggs + 2 cups stock. When ready to bake, toss with bread cubes and pork mixture. Turn out into buttered casserole. Bake on cookie sheet, covered til hot (45 mins?) then uncovered til crispy.
I like your idea here and I'm going to try it this Thanksgiving.
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