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Nov 25, 2015 By Shereen Pavlides for The 3 min read

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Shereen Pavlides prepares Wild Mushroom and Sage Stuffing.

Jared Finkel/Calkins Media

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Jared Finkel | Calkins Media

Shereen Pavlides prepares Wild Mushroom and Sage Stuffing.

Jared Finkel/Calkins Media

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For this weekÄ¢¹½ÊÓƵ Cook This, chef Shereen Pavlides makes Wild Mushroom and Sage Stuffing.

WILD MUSHROOM AND SAGE STUFFING

Serves: 8 – 10 Prep time: 35 minutes Cook time: 11 minutes Bake time: 55 minutes

2 (10-ounce) day old French baguettes – crust removed, 1/2-inch diced (7 cups)

12 ounces wild mushrooms (oyster, baby bella, shiitake)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter + extra to butter dish & dollop on top

1 small fennel bulb – stalks and core discarded, diced (1 cup)

3 leeks, white and light green parts, diced, cleaned, dried completely (1 1/2 cup)

5 celery stalks – diced (1 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

kosher salt / freshly ground black pepper

canola oil

3 garlic cloves – minced

3 tablespoons freshly sliced sage

2 1/4 cups chicken stock

2 eggs – room temperature, whisked

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place bread cubes in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake to dry out with no browning, about 8 – 10 minutes. Remove to cool. Add the bread cubes to a very large bowl.

To prep the mushrooms:

Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp kitchen towel or heavy duty paper towel. Tear the oyster mushrooms, slice the baby bellas, stem the shiitake mushrooms (discarding the stems) and slice the caps. Set aside.

Meanwhile: Melt the butter in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, fennel, leeks, celery, and thyme. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 8 turns on the pepper. Saute until tender, about 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium. Push the vegetables aside, clearing a hole in the middle of the pan. Drizzle a little canola oil into the hole and add garlic and sage to the oil. Saute until fragrant, 30 – 40 seconds. Toss the entire mixture to combine. Add vegetable mixture to the bowl with the bread cubes. Set at room temperature to cool. Reserve pan.

Slightly warm the chicken stock in the reserved pan over low heat. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, (stock should be flavorful). Cool then toss into the bowl with the vegetables and bread mixture. Continuously stirring to absorb the stock into the bread cubes, 1 – 3 minutes. Stir in the eggs until combined.

Remove the stuffing to a buttered 2-quart casserole dish. Top with a few dollops of butter. Bake at 350 degrees F., until browned on top and hot and bubbly, 35 – 45 minutes. Remove to rest and set, 8 – 10 minutes.

Prep ahead tip:

Saute the vegetable mixture, cool and refrigerate. Bake the bread cubes, cool, store in a large zipper bag at room temperature. Both preparations can be done up to 2 days ahead.

When ready to assemble and bake: re-warm the vegetable mixture, to remove the chill, before assembling.