Jamie’s Thanksgiving Stuffing
Makes enough for a 9- to 10-pound turkey
You can make the stuffing a day or two in advance to help lighten the load on
Thanksgiving Day.
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
4 shallots, finely chopped
Small handful of fresh sage, finely chopped
6 strips pancetta, finely chopped
2 ounces butter
Big handful of fresh breadcrumbs (bread stuffing), coarsely chopped
Handful dried apricots, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
5 or 6 chestnuts (roasted or jarred), coarsely chopped
3/4 pound freshly ground pork
Pinch of grated nutmeg
1 egg
Finely chop the celery, shallots, sage, and pancetta and add with butter to
a hot frying/sauté pan. Fry gently on medium heat until everything is
lightly golden brown. Take off the heat. To prepare the fresh breadcrumbs, take
a loaf of day-old bread, remove the crust and place the chunks of bread in a
food processor until the bread is coarsely chopped. Add the breadcrumbs and
coarsely chopped apricots and chestnuts to the celery, shallots, sage, pancetta
and butter mixture. Season well to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well and
chill.
When the stuffing is cold, add the pork, nutmeg, and egg. Refrigerate until
ready to use.
A good rest is half the work.
- Yugoslav Proverb