Chorizo and Calabrian Chile Stuffing

I personally gravitate toward a holiday stuffing with a more classic flavour profile, but I’m also a firm believer that a little bit of spice improves most things. That’s why I incorporated meaty bits of spicy-tangy Mexican-style chorizo and a handful of fiery Calabrian chiles into this stuffing recipe. The heat these ingredients bring is fairly subtle, just enough to activate your taste buds in between bites of roast turkey and rich green bean casserole and keeps you coming back for more.

1 (2 lb) loaf country-style bread, cut into 1-1½" pieces
2 large eggs
2½ cups chicken broth
4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 fresh chorizo sausages, casings removed (~ 1 lb)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 stalks celery, finely chopped
10 Calabrian chiles, oil-packed, drained, thinly sliced, or 1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, finely chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. sea salt, divided

Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C/100°C fan, Gas Mark 0.5).

Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on 2 large, rimmed baking sheets, dividing evenly and bake, tossing occasionally, until dried out, about 1 hour. Let cool, then transfer to a very large bowl. Increase oven temperature to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Whisk eggs and broth in a medium bowl to combine; set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook sausages, stirring and breaking into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.

Heat remaining 3 Tbsp. oil in same pan over medium. Add onion, garlic and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened but without taking on any colour, 6-8 minutes. Add chiles and butter and cook, stirring often, until butter is melted, about 2 minutes. Stir in rosemary and sage and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Remove skillet from heat and return sausage to pan. Add ½ cup parsley and ¼ tsp. sea salt and stir well to combine. Scrape mixture over bread in bowl and mix well to combine. Pour reserved egg mixture over and fold gently until thoroughly coated. Stir in remaining ¼ tsp. sea salt.

Transfer stuffing to a 9x13" baking dish and pack stuffing down into pan with spatula or your hands. Cover dish with foil and bake stuffing until bubbles appear around the edges (you may need to peek under the foil), 30-35 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425°F (220°C/200°C fan, Gas Mark 7). Uncover stuffing and continue to bake until top is golden brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes longer. Let sit 10 minutes.

Top stuffing with more parsley just before serving.

Makes 8 servings.