In my book every turkey needs a good stuffing, I prefer stuffing that was cooked inside a bird. Other people just use an ovenproof pan and bake it alongside their bird. Whichever way you like it, go for it (here you can find more on the debate about: stuffing versus dressing).
This recipe works both ways – stuffed inside your turkey or baked on the side.
about 8 servings
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb (450 g) italian sausage, mine is from a local butcher, casings removed and cut into discs
10 cups or 1 kg loaf of sourdough bread, torn into pieces and set out to dry for a day
15 roasted chestnuts, chopped coarsly (roast your own or buy vacuum packed)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 onions, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 large pinch of chili flakes (as desired)
1 large tart apple, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
25 leaves of fresh sage, finely chopped
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
170g butter, cut into pieces
2 eggs
2 + 1 cups(720 ml) chicken broth
Place bread pieces In a large bowl, add the chopped chestnut and set bowl aside.
Heat olive oil in a pan big enough to cook your sausage in. When hot add your sausage pieces and cook until browned about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to your bowl with a slotted spoon.
Add onions celery and chili to the oil in the pan and saute stirring often until soft, about 7 minutes. Now add the apple, garlic, sage and parsley and continue cooking until the apple is soft and the onion starts turning golden brown. Add the onion mixture to the bread bowl.
Deglaze pan with white wine and scrape up browned bits. Add half of the butter melting it into the liquid. Drizzle this liquid onto the dry ingredients in the bowl to make a moist mixture.
Whisk eggs with 2 cups of the broth and pour over the bread mixture and distribute all the ingredients well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
At this point you can stuff your turkey with the mixture. Make sure not to „over stuff“, it should be loosely packed into the cavity. Close the opening with tothpicks and get your bird into the oven. Cook the bird according to your instructions, see my guide for tipps on cooking turkey.
Should there be any remaining stuffing you can now get out a small roasting pan and transfer the stuffing into it. Dot with additional butter and use more broth (up to 1 cup) if it looks too dry. Cover with foil (or a lid in my case) and bake for 35 minutes at 350°F (200°C). Now increase the temperature to 450°F (230°C) and bake for 20 minutes until browned on top. Serve alongside your turkey with lots of good gravy.