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Ayala Thanksgiving Stuffing

Ayala Thanksgiving Stuffing

  • Makes
    8-10 servings

"Our Ayala blend lends an herbaceous and garlicky zest to a classic Thanksgiving stuffing, perfectly balancing savory bacon, sausage, or mushrooms. You can prepare this recipe a day in advance. Store the unbaked stuffing in the refrigerator. Remove it from the fridge and bring it to room temperature, for about an hour. Bake as directed."


Note: This recipe calls for a custom spice blend whose main ingredients include rosemary, salt and pepper: Ayala N. 16 by Lior Lev Sercarz, available from La Boîte NY here.

Tip

Sub half the croutons for cornbread croutons.

Ingredients
  • ½

    cup olive oil

  • 1

    cup ¼-inch dice bacon, or crumbled raw sausage meat, or diced button mushrooms

  • 1

    cup ¼-inch dice onion

  • 1

    cup ¼-inch dice celery

  • 1

    cup ¼-inch peeled and diced carrot

  • 2

    tablespoons finely chopped garlic

  • 2

    tablespoons chopped fresh sage

  • 2

    tablespoons Ayala N.16 spice blend

  • 5½

    cups water or low sodium chicken stock

  • Salt and pepper

  • 18

    cups (about 1½ pounds) toasted croutons

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Step 2

In a heavy-bottomed 8 quart saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the bacon and cook for about 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Increase the heat to medium, and add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and sage. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened but are still a bit firm.

Step 3

Increase the heat to high and add the Ayala spice blend and water. Bring to boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Note that the Ayala blend contains salt and pepper.)

Step 4

Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Step 5

In a large bowl, soak the croutons with the broth and vegetable, mixing carefully so the croutons don’t fall apart. Transfer the croutons and vegetables to a greased 9-by-12-inch baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for an additional 20 minutes until golden brown on top.