Herbed Pecan Stuffing

Posted the second magazine piece this week — the one about the elk liver, about earned hunger, about the meal you make standing at the stove in the hour after a long day of physical work and what it tastes like compared to a meal eaten at rest. The response was bigger than the first column. The editor said her inbox had been full for three days. A food writer from New York emailed to say it was the most honest thing she'd read about the relationship between labor and taste in years. I told her I appreciated that and meant it, though the "from New York" qualification made me smile in the way that everything about the gap between those two places always makes me smile.

I've been getting known in ways I didn't anticipate when I started posting on RecipeSpinoff. The magazine column has expanded the audience beyond the platform. The rescue facility newsletter pieces circulate in equine rehabilitation circles. Tom's book acknowledges me in the author's note. The compound effect of several years of careful writing is that people know my name who didn't before. I'm not sure what to do with that, so I'm doing what I've always done: go to work, write what's true, take care of the people and animals who need taking care of.

Tom came to dinner Thursday. His daughter Claire has been calling him twice a week since the book came out, which is more contact than they've had in years, and he accepts it with his usual gruff warmth. She's mentioned coming for Christmas. He said: I told her I'd think about it. I said: That means yes. He said: Don't tell her that.

Made roasted duck legs with roasted turnips and apples — a late fall combination, the duck rich and rendered, the turnips earthy, the apples a sweet counterpoint to both. The kind of dinner that belongs to November and no other month.

The duck legs and turnips carried the meal, but a table like that Thursday — Tom across from me, something good in the air about Claire and Christmas — deserved something more. The herbed pecan stuffing came together while the duck rendered, filling the kitchen with sage and toasted nuts, the smell of November doing exactly what November is supposed to do. It’s the kind of side dish that asks nothing of you except a little patience, and rewards that patience the way a good evening does.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 loaf (about 12 oz) day-old rustic bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh sage, minced (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

Dry the bread. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and leave out overnight, or toast in a 300°F oven for 20 minutes until dried but not browned. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Toast the pecans. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the chopped pecans for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden. Add to the bowl with the bread.
Saute the aromatics. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Combine. Pour the onion mixture over the bread and pecans. Add the broth gradually, tossing gently — you want the bread moist but not soggy. Let sit 5 minutes, then stir in the beaten eggs and parsley.
Bake. Preheat oven to 375°F. Transfer stuffing to a buttered 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes until the top is golden and crisp.
Rest and serve. Let sit 5 minutes before serving. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Serve warm alongside roasted meats or as a standalone side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Herbed Pecan Stuffing — The Side Dish That Made November Feel Complete