You will not believe the ingredients for this recipe. When you assemble the ingredients, it looks like you're going to make a salad. But the result is as hefty and savory as the Thanksgiving turkey itself.

This recipe is best made by crowd since there are a lot of ingredients to prepare. Additionally it is best to start a day ahead. On Thanksgiving day, ingredients should be prepped two or three hours ahead of when the turkey will be done. Finally, be advised that this stuffing does not actually stuff the turkey. It is much safer, much quicker, and just as delicious to bake the stuffing in its own separate pan, which incidentally, is anything ovenproof, such as metal, glass, or ceramic.

For cooking you will need at least two large frying pans, prep bowls, and a big bowl for mixing.

Budget at least one cup of stuffing for each guest. This recipe makes at about 8 cups.

Ingredients

At least 4 cups of cooked wild rice, cooked the day before
2 cups dried fruit soaked overnight in the wine of your choice, and minced. Our favorites are craisins, dried pears, dried apples, or dried plums.
One cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted carefully on a metal pan under the broiler. Be careful since they go from perfect to burnt in a few seconds.
Two tablespoons minced garlic
Two onions diced
One generous bundle of parsley chopped
Two bundles of green onions chopped
2 cups celery chopped
One green apple and one red apple, diced
Zest and juice of one orange
2 cups mushrooms, sliced if desired
1/4 cup dried spice of your choice; See my recipe for "family spice" below
About 2 cups strong turkey or chicken broth
Olive oil to sauté
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

As a general rule, you will begin sautéing the ingredients one by one or in groups from hard to soft. That is to say, you cook the ones that take the longest first. Cook each of these until they are almost perfectly done. Sauté the minced garlic, onions and celery in olive oil. Go slowly enough so that they caramelize and do not burn. Set these aside and sauté the apples. Add green onions and parsley and sauté these. Set aside. Sauté the mushrooms until slightly browned. Salt and pepper each batch lightly as you go. You can always add more at the end.

Mix all of this with the rice, the dried fruit, the flavored wine, the almonds, the zest and juice of the orange, and the spices. Mix everything thoroughly. Adjust seasonings. Press the mixture evenly into the pan or pans. Moisten everything lightly with the broth. Do not feel compelled to use all of the broth.

At first, you will be cooking the pan with foil on top at 375° to finish cooking the ingredients and blend all the flavors. This will take somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes. The mixture should end up moist but not soupy. In the last 15 minutes you will want take take the foil off and watch carefully to brown the top.

Serve beside the turkey or separately. Once served, refrigerate promptly. It reheats very well.

Family spice

Two parts ground rosemary
Two parts thyme
One part basil
One part tarragon
One part of oregano

Happy cooking !