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Prep time
45 minutes
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Cook time
2 hours 15 minutes
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Serves
8 to 10
Author Notes
I love the concept of stuffing; it’s a blank slate waiting to be painted in flavors that depict who you are. Green olives are my ode to California, while the chouriço, saffron, and vinegar speak for the India I grew up in.
THE FLAVOR APPROACH
Salty brined green olives provide a strong taste counterpoint to the bold flavors of the chouriço.
Apples and cherries add a pop of sweetness and mild sourness.
Saffron is ground to a fine powder using a little salt as an abrasive. Grinding saffron extracts more color and flavor than would be achieved by using the strands directly.
Drying the bread helps dehydrate it, aids the caramelization and Maillard reactions, and makes the bread behave like a sponge to absorb the liquid on soaking.
The stuffing is first cooked covered, to let the egg proteins change their shape, forming a protein meshwork that binds together the different ingredients and flavor molecules. It is then uncovered to finish cooking at a lower temperature, which helps create a crunchier top surface and reduces the risk of burning.
Reprinted from The Flavor Equation by Nik Sharma with permission by Chronicle Books, 2020.
This recipe was featured on our new cook-along podcast Play Me a Recipe. Listen as Nik slices, sautés, and bakes his way through this stuffing, offering tips and backstory along the way.
—Nik Sharma
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Ingredients
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1 pound
(455 grams) ciabatta or sourdough bread
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1/2 cup
(110 grams) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
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20
strands saffron
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Fine sea salt
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11 ounces
(310 grams) choriço
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1
leek (10 1/2 ounces/300 grams), ends trimmed and thinly sliced
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1
medium yellow onion (9 1/4 ounces/260 grams), thinly sliced
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4
garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
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2
Granny Smith or other firm, tart baking apples (each about 7 ounces/200 grams), cored and diced
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3 ounces
dried tart cherries
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1/2 cup
(60 grams) walnut halves
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1/4 cup
(60 milliliters) apple cider or malt vinegar
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1
(6-ounce/170-gram) can medium green olives, drained and halved
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3 cups
(720 milliliters) low-sodium chicken stock
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2
large eggs, lightly whisked
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2 tablespoons
chopped cilantro, for garnish
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2 tablespoons
chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 200°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut or tear the bread into 1/2-inch cubes, spread them out in a single layer on the baking sheet, and dry in the oven, about 1 hour. Remove and let cool completely. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
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Increase the oven heat to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9x13x2-in (23x33x5-cm) ceramic or glass baking dish with a little butter.
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Grind half of the saffron to a fine powder with a little salt and set aside. Remove and discard the casing from the chouriço and break the sausage into small bits. Heat a medium saucepan over low heat and sauté until the sausage starts to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the butter and stir until it melts. Increase the heat, add the leek and onion, and sauté until they start to turn translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the whole and ground saffron strands.
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Add the apples, cherries, and walnuts and sauté until the cherries get plump, 1 minute. Add the vinegar and remove from the heat. Gently fold in the olives, followed by the dried bread. Season with salt. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
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In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup [240 ml] of the stock with the eggs, then whisk in the remaining stock. Pour the liquid over the bread mixture in the baking dish and fold in gently to distribute. At this stage, you can let the baking dish sit for 30 minutes before baking, or cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
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When ready to bake the stuffing, discard the plastic wrap. If chilled, leave the baking dish out on the kitchen counter to warm to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Cover the baking dish snugly with a sheet of aluminum foil to form a tight seal and bake for 40 minutes. Lower the heat to 300°F [149°C], remove the foil, and continue to bake, uncovered, until the top is golden brown and crispy and the liquid has completely evaporated, 20 to 30 minutes. A skewer or knife inserted into the center should come out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro and parsley and serve warm.
Nik Sharma is a molecular biologist turned cookbook author and food photographer who writes a monthly column for Serious Eats and the San Francisco Chronicle and is a contributor to the New York Times. His first cookbook, Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food, was a finalist for a James Beard Foundation award and an International Association of Culinary Professionals award. Nik resides in Los Angeles, California and writes the award-winning blog, A Brown Table. Nik's new book, The Flavor Equation will be released in October 2020.
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