This year has been full of unprecedented times and situations. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many families and individuals will be cooking at home this holiday season. That’s why we are bringing the dishes to you all month long in our Quarantine Kitchen series. We talked to twenty-three chefs who willingly shared some of their favorite dishes to prepare for the holidays. Stay tuned Dec. 1 through 24 on the blog as well as our social media channels for a new dish to feature in your home each day and let’s get cooking!
Forsyth Country Club in Winston-Salem has served as a vital asset to the community since 1913. Operating as a premier private club on 172 acres of land, they offer a variety of events for their members including golf, tennis, family activities, celebrations, weddings and great food prepared by Executive Chef Blair Cannon.
Blair officially joined the Forsyth Country Club team in 2016 as the Executive Sous Chef. It wasn’t until 2019 that he took the position as Executive Chef, thus overseeing the culinary operations of both club restaurants, café, pool complex, eight pavilion rooms and ballroom. Blair has shared with us one of his favorite holiday recipes, Autumn Rye Stuffing with Sage Sausage, Carolina Apples and Roasted Mushrooms. This stuffing, like others used around the holidays, can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until use. Be sure to use local ingredients in the kitchen and give your stuffing an added taste of our great state. Enjoy!
Autumn Rye Stuffing with Sage Sausage, Carolina Apples & Roasted Mushrooms
Ingredients:
- 1 loaf sliced marbled rye Bread, cut into 1/4-inch-to-1/2-inch cubes (should yield 8 cups or 1 pound)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus a little extra for greasing the baking dish
- 1 pound fresh ground Carolina Harmony Ridge Farm’s sage pork sausage (or favorite local brand of sage pork sausage)
- 1 cup diced yellow or white onion (1/2 inch dice)
- 3 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
- 1 cup local oyster mushrooms, cleaned, cored, and petals rough chopped (can use cremini instead)
- 3 each favorite apples such as Golden Delicious or Rome, peeled, cored, and 1/2-inch diced
- 1 cup celery with leaves, rough chopped to 1/4-inch-size pieces
- 3 cups chicken stock or turkey stock (low sodium or homemade)
- 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 each large whipped Harmony Ridge Farm’s eggs (or favorite local farmers large eggs)
- 2 tablespoons fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions:
- Heat oven to 250 degrees. Spread the diced bread onto a cookie sheet and dry for 10 to 15 minutes in the oven to a crouton consistency.
- Place bread cubes into a large mixing bowl and set aside. Butter your baking dish to prepare for baking later.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until it loses most of its pink color, but not so much that it’s dry, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sausage and pan drippings to the stuffing cubes, and place the sauté pan back onto stove top.
- Add the onions and caramelize over medium high heat. Once caramelized add the apples, celery, and cook until the vegetables get soft, about 5 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock making sure to lightly scrape the bottom to remove any delicious “Fond” or dripping that have caramelized on the bottom. Add the fresh herbs and bring to a boil.
- Pour the vegetable mixture over the dried bread cubes and toss until evenly moistened. Let cool for about 10 minutes before adding the egg.
- Mix the eggs into the bread mixture evenly. Turn the oven to 325 degrees.
- Moderately pack the dressing in the prepared pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes on middle rack.
- After 30 minutes, remove the foil, and drizzle about 2 tablespoons of turkey pan drippings or melted butter over the top.
- Place back into the oven until the top is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes more. Remove from the oven and cover until serving.
Heat covered at 300F for 30-40 minutes on the Middle Rack to an Internal Temperature of 150F.
