Equipment
Ingredients
Bread Base
- 500 g sourdough bread, cut into 2 cm cubes and left out overnight to dry
Mushroom Mixture
- 115 g unsalted butter, divided into two portions
- 250 g chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and gently torn into bite-sized pieces
- 250 g shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced
- 3 shallots, finely diced
- 3 celery, finely diced
- 4 garlic, minced
- 10 g fresh sage, finely chopped
- 5 g fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped
Liquids and Binders
- 60 ml dry white wine
- 480 ml vegetable stock, warm
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 10 g kosher salt
- 3 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 332 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbohydrates
- 39 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1394 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 77 mg
- Potassium
- 422 mg
- Calcium
- 58 mg
- Iron
- 2.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 25 mg
- Phosphorus
- 98 mg
- Zinc
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 124 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 7 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.22 mg
- Niacin
- 2.6 mg
- Folate
- 22 mcg
- Water
- 104 g
- Alcohol
- 1 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius or 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously butter a 23 by 33 cm baking dish using a small portion of the unsalted butter.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt half of the remaining butter. Add the chanterelle and shiitake mushrooms in an even layer. Let them cook undisturbed for 4 minutes to develop a deep brown crust, then toss and continue to cook until their moisture evaporates completely.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the rest of the butter to the skillet along with the diced shallots and celery. Cook until the vegetables soften and become translucent. Stir in the garlic, sage, thyme, salt, and black pepper, cooking for one more minute until highly fragrant.
Pour the dry white wine into the skillet to deglaze, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let the wine simmer until it has almost completely evaporated.
Transfer the hot mushroom and vegetable mixture into the extra large mixing bowl containing the dried sourdough bread cubes. Toss thoroughly so the bread absorbs the residual pan fats and flavors.
In a separate medium bowl or measuring jug, whisk together the warm vegetable stock and beaten eggs. Pour this liquid evenly over the bread and mushroom mixture. Gently fold everything together until the liquid is absorbed.
Transfer the stuffing mixture to your prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer without packing it down too tightly. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 190 degrees Celsius or 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until the top is crusty and golden.
Chef's Notes
- Drying your sourdough completely is the secret to a stuffing that absorbs flavor without turning to mush. Stale bread is good, but oven-dried bread is even better.
- Tear your chanterelles along their natural ridges rather than slicing them with a knife. This maintains their elegant shape and provides an excellent texture.
- Do not skip deglazing the pan with wine. The fond created by searing the wild mushrooms contains complex umami notes that form the flavor foundation of this dish.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze unbaked or baked; thaw completely in refrigerator before baking or reheating.
Reheating: Reheat covered in a 175 C oven for 20 minutes, then uncover for 5 minutes to restore the crispy top.
Troubleshooting
The stuffing tastes unpleasantly dry or tough after baking
Cause: The bread was not adequately moistened before baking, or the oven ran too hot causing the moisture to evaporate too quickly.
Fix: Drizzle 60 to 120 ml of warm stock over the finished stuffing, cover with foil, and return to the oven for 10 minutes to allow the steam to soften the bread.
Prevention: Ensure the bread cubes feel completely saturated but not mushy during the mixing phase. Add up to 60 ml of extra stock if the mixture seems parched before baking.
Mushrooms are rubbery rather than tender and flavorful
Cause: The pan was crowded and the mushrooms steamed instead of searing and caramelizing.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once mixed with the bread.
Prevention: Use a very large skillet or cook the mushrooms in multiple batches so they have room to breathe and fry in the fat.
Cultural Context
Stuffing, frequently called dressing when baked outside of a bird, is the cornerstone of the American Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday table. Originally conceptualized as a practical way to utilize stale bread and stretch a harvest feast, modern iterations elevate the humble dish. Integrating prized, seasonal wild fungi like chanterelles reflects a gourmet evolution, turning a rustic comfort food into the centerpiece of a holiday spread.
