Rania's Recipes: Greek Stuffing and Caramelized Pear & Walnut Salad
Rania Harris continues to show off her ideas for a Thanksgiving feast with her recipe for Greek Stuffing.
Greek Stuffing
1 loaf Italian bread, dried, cut into large croutons and toasted
½ pound unsalted butter
2 onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 apples, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1½ pounds ground meat
¾ pound good quality Italian bulk sausage
½ cup pine nuts
1 ½ pounds peeled chestnuts – roughly chopped
¾ cup chopped parsley
1 cups dried apricots, chopped
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon dried sage (or to taste)
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or to taste)
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or to taste)
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
¾ cup dry Sherry
Chicken broth to moisten the stuffing (about 2 cups or more if needed)
Directions:
Toast croutons and set aside. Melt the butter in a large pot and add in the onions and the celery and cook until they become translucent and lightly browned. Add the carrots and continue to sauté the mixture. Add ground meat and sausage and cook until browned. Add apples, pine nuts, dried fruits, chestnuts, parsley and seasonings. Add croutons. Moisten with chicken broth and sherry wine. It takes quite a bit of moisture. Cool completely. (Can be made up to two days ahead at this point).
Transfer the stuffing to a large greased casserole and cover with buttered foil. Refrigerate until to reheat for dinner service.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake stuffing until heated through – about 45 minutes. Serve along side the turkey.
Serves: 12
Caramelized Pear and Walnut Salad with Prosciutto and Mascarpone
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
¾ cup walnut halves
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water
2 ounces sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips
Mascarpone, whipped
Lightly toasted, sliced Focaccia Bread
Directions:
For the vinaigrette: In a small saucepan, bring the orange juice to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until reduced to about 1/3 cup, 7-10 minutes. Pour into a blender. Add the vinegar, wine, onion, and sugar and puree. With the machine running, gradually add the oil in a slow, steady stream. Refrigerate until chilled, about 15 minutes.
In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pears and walnuts. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the ¼ cup sugar and the water and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring often, until the sugar begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Place large dollop of mascarpone on center of place; arrange pear and walnut mixture around and top with prosciutto strips, along with Focaccia.
