Herb Stuffing with Dried Fruit
Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish
One 1-pound loaf sliced white sandwich bread
3/4 cup mixed chopped dried fruit, such as apricots, cranberries and figs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
1 large apple, such as Golden Delicious, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Cut or tear the bread into bite-size pieces. Divide between 2 rimmed baking sheets and spread into a single layer. Bake until slightly dry and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely.
Meanwhile, melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the dried fruit, sage, thyme, apple, onion, celery, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and parsley and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour into a large bowl.
Add the toasted bread to the onion mixture and toss until evenly moistened. Stir in the egg. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and evenly spread without packing the stuffing down too much. Bake until the top is crusty, about 40 minutes. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle over the top. Continue to bake until the top is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes more. Garnish with parsley and thyme.
