"WORLD OF WARCRAFT": SPICE BREAD STUFFING.
Photo by pawkphoto.com
Stuffing is one of my favorite parts of Pilgrim’s Bounty, or Thanksgiving for those of us not in Azeroth. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s dry stuffing - like dryer than Tanaris stuffing. You then have to cast a gravy spell like a Shaman’s Healing Rain and pray it’s not like eating wet sand. Well, rejoice stuffing lovers! This recipe uses fresh Spice Bread straight from your hearth that is dried instead of those creepy croutons used in stuffing boxes. It’s then accompanied by crisp vegetables and apples, and an Autumnal Herb mix that is reminiscent of sausage, but without adding the extra heaviness. May be redeemed for seasonal fare.
LOOT: 12 SERVINGS.
MATS.
1 recipe Spice Bread
1 stick butter
2 medium onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
2 cups celery, chopped
4 red apples, cored and chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1/3 cup fresh sage, chopped
3/4 tsp fennel seed
1 tbsp rosemary (dried or fresh)
2 cups chicken stock
EQUIPMENT.
2 lined sheet pans
knife
oven
fire
large dutch oven or pot
spatula
9 x 13 baking dish, lightly oiled
STRAT.
1.) Preheat oven to 275ºF.
2.) Cut spice bread loaves into 1” pieces. Spread the bread pieces onto lined sheet pans in a single layer. Place pans in oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, to dry out the bread. Bread should feel as if it were dry and stale, not super hard and toasted.
3.) Increase the oven temperature to 400ºF.
4.) In a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, celery, and apples and cook until they soften, about 5-8 minutes.
5.) Add the salt, pepper, fresh sage, fennel seed, and rosemary and mix thoroughly. Add the dried bread cubes and mix. Slowly add the chicken stock while carefully folding the bread mixture with a spatula. Add enough chicken stock to saturate the bread, but not making the mixture super soggy. Cook for an additional 3 minutes to evaporate any excess moisture.
6.) Scrape the stuffing mixture into a lightly oiled 9 x 13 baking dish.
7.) Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. The top should be crisp and the inside soft. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Inspired by “World Of Warcraft”
