Fruit and Pinenut Stuffing —November means Thanksgiving
Every time Thanksgiving comes around, I feel I have to explain myself about why I post these recipes. Because today’s recipe, fruit and pinenut stuffing, is not something I ever cooked in Spain. We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Spain, therefore its cuisine and traditional dishes are something purely American.
Most of what I cook at home are dishes from my homeland, Spain, sometimes adapted to the American market and the ingredients I can find here. But on many occasions I go by the traditions of the place where I live. My family wouldn’t have it any other way.
One such traditions is Thanksgiving. After more than two decades in the United States, I have been through way more thanksgivings that I can count, and over the years I’ve come to celebrate the festivity, recreate its traditional dishes, and over time, make some recipes my own. I obviously follow the tradition of the roast turkey and the different sides that accompany it, the gravy, the cranberry relish and the pies. But I tend to, one way or another, personalize some of them and make them my own.
Fruit and pinenut stuffing is one such recipe. Stuffing, as the word denotes, is something that is placed inside something else –in this case, inside of the turkey. I, however, serve the stuffing on the side. Some people would call it a dressing, then; I consider this fruit and pinenut stuffing, however, more of a side dish, and even something that can be eaten on its own, particularly when no bread is added to it, the way I like it.
I’m going to tell you two of my pet peeves with turkey stuffing:
I find all recipes have too much bread in it. In fact, they have bread in it. I don’t like bread in my turkey stuffing, but for the reason I mentioned before (my family wouldn’t have it any other way), I add some to my recipe because I am in the minority at the Thanksgiving table.
A consequence of the fact that the stuffing has bread in it is that, when you stuff it into a turkey, the bread will absorb all the fat and juices that the turkey releases. That, which for most people is the goal and what they try to achieve, sounds very unhealthy to me. Why would I want to add extra fat to my food, and why would I want to add bread to absorb the extra fat even further? I don’t understand it, and when in doubt, I always lean on the side of cooking healthier meals. This is my second pet peeve.
You might think that the fruit and pinenut stuffing recipe I’m sharing today wouldn’t be as tasty as the traditional ones, but I tell you, nothing could be farther than the truth. The sausage adds all the flavor (and yes, some fat), and all the different fruits provide extra flavor and the moisture you need. If you push me, I will even tell you you don’t even need gravy on it. This dressing is moist, tasty, crunchy, surprising, and delicious. I invite you to add it to your Thanksgiving table and see for yourself.
More Thanksgiving recipe ideas:
But what would turkey stuffing be without the turkey, even if you don’t stuff one inside the other? If you’re still looking for a recipe for roast turkey, click here for my recipe of roast turkey with sherry gravy. That’s the only one I make. Do you need more healthy side ideas? Let me suggest a few:
- Mashed red potatoes with olive oil
- Garlicky sauteed cauliflower
- Roasted carrots and fennel with Dijon dressing
- Mushrooms with leeks and peas
- Roasted beets with hazelnut picada
- Mashed potatoes with olive oil majado
You can find them all on this blog, just click on the links to get to them.
After the 2020 Thanksgiving hiatus due to the Covid pandemic, this year we’re celebrating again with friends and family. Our house will be full, we’ll sit elbow to elbow at the Thanksgiving dinner table and, with everybody immunized, it will a happy, longed for celebration. I hope yours is, too.
Happy Thanksgiving!
FRUIT AND PINENUT STUFFING
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Lb pork sausage
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 2 large pears
- 12 Tbs unsalted butter
- 1 Tbs sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 4 sticks celery
- 3 medium onions
- 1 1/2 cups prunes
- 1 1/2 cups dried apricots
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 1 1/2 cups sherry wine
- 2 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 Tbs chopped fresh sage
- 3/4 cup pinenuts
- 8 slices bread
Instructions
- One or two days before, lay the bread slices on the counter or on a cookie sheet over paper towels to dry. Flip the slices once in a while so they dry up on both sides. When the bread is completely dry, cube it.
- Core the pears and cut them into 1/2 inch cubes. Slice the celery into 1/4 inch slices. Chop the onion into small pieces. Quarter the prunes and the dried apricots.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and sauté until golden, 10 minutes, breaking down the large pieces with a wooden spoon. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Next, in the same skillet, melt 2 Tbs of butter over medium heat. Add the pears and sprinkle them with the sugar. Cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and add to a bowl. Sprinkle with the cinnamon.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining 10 Tbs of butter over medium heat. Add the onion and the celery and sauté until golden, 10-12 minutes. Add the wine, prunes, apricots, cherries, rosemary and sage. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the wine is reduced and the mixture is soft and moist, about 15 minutes.
- Incorporate the pears and the sausage into the mixture.
- In a small skillet, toast the pinenuts. Incorporate the pinenuts and the bread into the sausage and fruit mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Generously butter an oven dish. Spoon the stuffing into it, spread evenly and cover with buttered foil, butter side down. Bake the stuffing for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for fo 12-15 minutes longer, or until the top is slightly crisp and golden.
Notes
