Dried Tomato and Fennel Stuffing

Ingredients for Dried Tomato and Fennel Stuffing

• 2400ml 1/4-inch dice crusty country-style bread (about 450g )

• 675g fennel bulbs (sometimes called anise

• about 4 medium)

• 1 stick (120ml ) unsalted butter

• 120ml drained oil-packed dried tomatoes (about 110g )

• 725ml chicken broth

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

How to make Dried Tomato and Fennel Stuffing

Preheat oven to 163°C.

In a large shallow baking pan toast bread in middle of oven until just dry, 15 to 20 minutes. Trim fennel stalks flush with bulbs, reserving fronds, and discard stalks. Cut bulbs into 1/4-inch dice and chop reserved fronds. In a large skillet cook fennel bulb and fronds in butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until bulb is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

While fennel is cooking, cut tomatoes into 1/4-inch dice and in a small saucepan simmer in broth 10 minutes. In a large bowl toss together bread, fennel, tomato mixture, vinegar, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste and cool completely. (Stuffing may be made up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring stuffing to room temperature before proceeding.)

Any frozen poultry destined for stuffing should be completely thawed, and the stuffing itself brought to room temperature before it's put into the turkey. Do not stuff your bird the night before you cook it; such a seeming time-saver can have dangerous results. Instead, it is best to loosely fill the bird's neck and body cavities immediately before roasting. And always use a meat or instant-read thermometer: The meat is done when the temperature of the thickest part of the thigh (be careful not to touch the bones) reaches 82°C.; the stuffing baked inside the bird is done at 71°C to 74°C. After roasting, let your stuffed poultry stand 15 to 20 minutes, a double assurance that the requisite temperatures for food safety have been reached.

In a shallow baking dish bake stuffing in preheated 163°C oven 40 minutes (for moist stuffing, bake it covered entire time; for less moist stuffing that has a slightly crisp top, uncover it after 10 minutes).

Disclaimer

While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate and up to date, individual needs may vary and dietary requirements can differ based on personal health conditions. Always check food labels and allergen information before preparing or consuming any recipe. If you have specific health concerns, allergies, intolerances, or are following a medically prescribed diet, seek advice from your GP, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.