THEME: John Rooney's Foie Gras Stuffing
Jamie R
Buffalo News, November 2006
4 cups beef broth or stock
10 to 12 large shallots, chopped
7 large yellow onions, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
5 cups sliced mushrooms (any type)
1 cup full- to medium-bodied red wine
1/4 pound cappicola
1/4 pound prosciutto
1/4 pound crisply cooked bacon
1 cup minced garlic
3 cups toasted bread crumbs
1/4 to 1/2 pound foie gras
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Place broth and porcini in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until volume is cut in half.
Melt butter in a large skillet. Add chopped onions and cook over moderate to high heat, stirring so as not to burn (15 to 20 minutes). Add shallots and continue cooking until onions and shallots become translucent. Add sliced mushrooms to the mixture; add cappicola, prosciutto and bacon and cook for another five minutes.
Add garlic and beef broth and continue to cook until liquid is thickened to a gravy consistency. The vegetables should be completely melted down at this point. Salt and pepper to taste and set aside to cool completely.
Pulse this mixture with a food processor or blender to even consistency. Mix should be semi-solid, making it easier to stuff the bird. (May be done the day ahead if refrigerated.)
Prepare the foie gras by slicing quarter-inch slices from the lobe. Lightly dust with flour and sear both sides in a medium hot pan with olive oil. When ready to stuff your bird, fold the bread crumbs into the onion mixture.
To cook in a casserole: spread a layer of the onion mix in the bottom of a large baking dish. Add a layer of foie gras and repeat until ingredients are used up. Cover the pan and bake in a 350-degree oven for about an hour. Makes about 8 cups of stuffing.
To stuff a boned bird: Place the boned bird breast side down and spread a layer of the onion mixture in the bottom of the cavity. Add a layer of foie gras and repeat until cavity is fully covered.
Tuck the bird's skin over the stuffing - right to left, and left to right. Bring skin from the back and front over the initial folds and secure all with toothpicks. Slide cotton twine (you will need at least 5 pieces cut in 2-foot lengths) under the bird. (The string replaces the rib cage removed earlier.)
Truss bird well. Cut more string if necessary for more reinforcement.
Heat large skillet with olive oil and sear the outside of the bird until lightly browned. Place bird in a covered roasting pan and cook in a 350-degree oven for approximately 3 hours or until done (165 degrees). Remove the cover, baste and let the skin brown.
Remove from oven. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes before serving. Remove legs and wings. Snip the strings and carve front to back, exposing the rich stuffing layers. Serve with pan gravy.