Fig and Pecan Stuffing With Sage from Chef Rachelle Boucher

I had a pretty “nutty” roommate in college for about six months. I went to art school in Philadelphia, so you can imagine. I remember vividly, her mother’s homemade stuffing that she brought home from Thanksgiving. It too, was very nutty and delicious with pecans and figs or dates or something. This is my version.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 45 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 2  cups  diced celery
• 2  cups  diced onions
• 2  cups  quartered dried figs, trim off tough stems (apx.10 oz.)
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter (4 oz.)
• 2  teaspoons kosher salt (to taste)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 2  cups  turkey stock or 2  cups  chicken stock or 2  cups  vegetable stock
• 1  cup  turkey stock or 1  cup  chicken stock or 1  cup  vegetable stock
• 1 (14 ounce) bag  toasted unseasoned  bread cubes (apx. 13 cups)
• 3  cups  whole toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped Italian parsley
• 1⁄3 cup  chopped fresh sage
• 1⁄4 cup  chopped fresh thyme

Directions

1. 1. Preheat a large sauté or frying pan on medium high heat. When pan is hot add olive oil and drop an onion piece into the hot oil. When it sizzles turn up the heat and add celery, onions, and figs. Toss to coat and reduce heat to a medium-high and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until translucent. Reduce heat and add butter pieces, salt and pepper. Toss to combine and remove from heat. Add 2 cups of stock. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, pecans, parsley, sage and thyme.
3. Add vegetable and stock mixture and combine well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stuffing should be well seasoned. Add additional stock as needed for moist, but not soggy stuffing. Stuffing used to stuff poultry should just cling together. Stuffing or “dressing” cooked in a separate dish needs more moisture.
4. To stuff poultry, be sure to use room temperature stuffing. Stuff and cook the bird immediately. Cold stuffing can hinder the cooking process. Do not over stuff the cavity, as stuffing expands and it will again slow the cooking process. When storing leftovers, remove any remaining stuffing from the cavity to allow leftovers to cool quickly.