Recipe courtesy of Lucca.
Lucca’s Tuscan Apple and Sausage Stuffing
(Serves 8)
2 loaves Italian bread, crusts removed and bread cut into 3/4-inch cubes (20 cups)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3 Granny Smith Apples, finely diced
¼ cup dried cranberries
1 cup Apple Cider
2 large onions, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 large celery rib, finely diced
3 large garlic cloves, very finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped sage leaves
2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
2 tbsp fennel seed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cups turkey stock or low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions:
Pre heat oven to 350 F.
In a medium sauce pan on low heat, slowly rehydrated dried cranberries in Apple Cider, drain, and reserve juice.
In large skillet heat the olive oil, add sausage and brown. Remove from pan, add the apples and cook until lightly brown. Remove. Add in onions and garlic, sweat until translucent. Add in carrots and celery and cook until just soft. Add in sausage, apples and cranberries, sage, rosemary, fennel seed and butter. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat.
In a large bowl combine bread and sausage mixture. Add enough stock and Apple cider to just combine the stuffing. Season with salt and pepper.
Place stuffing in a buttered 13×9 baking dish and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes until top is crispy.
Lucca is one of the top Italian restaurants in South Florida, and is located inside the Waldorf-Astoria Boca Raton Resort & Club, and is open to hotel guests and members only, it is worth spending the night (or longer) or getting an invite from a member!
