Give your Thanksgiving stuffing a taste of Mexico with this recipe from Susan Trilling, who runs a cooking school in Oaxaca, Mexico. The stuffing has a sweet and spicy flavor from a combination of chiles, fennel, prunes and cumin. Recipe from the November 2009 issue of Saveur magazine. Makes about 14 servings.
Ingredients
12-ounce chunk whole-wheat bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 7 cups)
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter
2 large white onions, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 bulb fennel, cored and chopped
4 apples, cored and chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 poblano chilies, roasted, peeled, stemmed, seeded and chopped
6 ounces pitted prunes (about 26), halved
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon orange zest
Kosher salt, to taste
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the bread cubes on a large baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted and dry, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the bread cubes to a large bowl and set aside.
In an 8-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, celery and fennel and cook until soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the apples, garlic and poblano chilies, then cook until the apples are tender, about another 10 minutes.
Add the prunes, cumin, pepper, parsley, chives, orange zest and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 2 minutes.
Transfer mixture to the bowl with the bread cubes. Gently stir until combined. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Stir in the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the stuffing to a 2-quart oval baking dish and bake until browned, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
