Stuffing as a concept sounds weird. You take fresh bread, dry it out, wet it again, and dry it out once more. But the finished dish, well, that’s pure magic. What sounds like a sensory nightmare to some is the epitome of coziness and holidays for me. The bread soaks up the flavorful stock and white wine, turning into savory perfection with crispy edges (objectively, the best part). Because I take my job very seriously, I consulted our American Marble Magnus about all things stuffing. To my shock, he informed me that stuffing was originally baked inside the turkey and then scooped out (explains the name, I guess). But I am a simple woman, so I decided against stuffing our Whole-Cut Loin like a turkey. Instead, I took the meat that is usually around the stuffing and put it in the stuffing. So, reverse stuffing. Heresy, I know, but it worked like magic, and I encourage you to follow my sinful example.
Ingredients
1 loaf (500g) of dried out sourdough bread (torn into pieces)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 Meaty Meat Pork-ish
½ tsp salt (for seasoning Meaty Meat)
¼ tsp cracked black pepper (for seasoning Meaty Meat)
3 shallots, or 2 medium-sized brown onions (roughly chopped)
6 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
300 g mushrooms of your choice (roughly chopped)
3 celery stalks (sliced into 0.5 cm//0.2 inch slices)
½ tsp fine sea salt (for seasoning vegetables)
¼ tsp cracked black pepper (for seasoning vegetables)
10-15 sage leaves (roughly chopped)
1 small sprig of rosemary (destemmed, roughly chopped)
4-6 sprigs of thyme (destemmed)
1 cup celery leaves (roughly chopped)
250 ml vegetable stock
100 ml cup of white wine
50 ml olive oil
3 tbsp/40 g plant-based butter
60 MIN / SERVES 4-6
preparation
Chop bread into chunks or tear it into bite-sized pieces. If using fresh, dry it out on the counter overnight, or in the oven.
If using the oven method, heat the oven to 150°C/365°F. Place the torn pieces of bread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let the bread cool down.
While the bread is drying (if you’re not using stale bread), prepare all the vegetables, herbs, and Meaty Meat Pork-ish.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/302°F
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add Meaty Meat pieces, and cook for 5-7 minutes until nicely browned. Remove from the pan.
To the same pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook it for 2-3 minutes, then add garlic. After a minute, add celery and mushrooms.
Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 8-10 minutes, until nicely caramelised. Remove from the pan and transfer to a bowl together with cooked Meaty Meat pieces and torn bread.
Add chopped herbs and celery leaves.
In a jug, mix vegetable stock, white wine, and olive oil. Pour over the mixture, toss well to combine and coat everything. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
Transfer to an oven-safe baking dish and top with chunks of plant-based butter.
Bake for 35 minutes.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with more sage, thyme, rosemary, and baby celery leaves.
