Waste not: Sourdough stuffing
I promised to share some ideas for using leftover bread instead of throwing it away, so here’s my first suggestion: sourdough stuffing.
I originally made this dish one Christmas to go with our turkey, and it was so delicious and easy to prepare that I keep coming back to it. It’s chunky yet light, uses up various ingredients lurking in the fridge and has a depth of flavour thanks to the sourdough.
The other beauty of this dish is that it’s incredibly versatile. You can change the vegetables to your preference or use whatever’s in season. Writing this on a sunny spring day, I can imagine combining Romano peppers, shallots, roasted tomatoes and parsley to make the perfect summer version.
I usually serve my sourdough stuffing with roast meat or even sausages as a substitute for potatoes and cooked vegetables, but it has endless possibilities. What will you serve yours with?
SOURDOUGH STUFFING RECIPE
Prep 35 mins (approximately)
Cook 20 mins
Serves 2 as a generous side
INGREDIENTS
2 x red onions
2 x carrots
4 x celery branches
3 x garlic cloves
4 x rosemary sprigs 15cm long
Half a mug of vegetable stock
Yesterday’s sourdough bread (or older) - 250g
Extra virgin olive oil
Butter
Salt and pepper
METHOD
Begin by preheating the oven to 190°C.
Chop all your herbs and vegetables (I like to keep them chunky) and cut the sourdough into large cubes of around 3cm.
Add a glug of olive oil, a knob of butter and a pinch of salt to a medium-sized pan and fry the vegetables until they’re slightly soft.
Add your garlic and rosemary and fry the mixture for two more minutes.
Next, add the sourdough cubes and some freshly ground pepper. Fry for five minutes until all the bread is well coated with the vegetable mixture and slightly browned.
Add a tablespoon or two of vegetable stock just to ‘wet’ the mixture.
Finally, pour the mixture into a loaf tin and gently press it down with the back of a fork or spatula. Add another two tablespoons of stock and a few small knobs of butter on top (see below).
Bake at 190°C until the top of the stuffing looks slightly dark (the darker it is, the stronger the flavour).
SERVING SUGGESTION
I recently made this at home with roasted chicken supreme marinated in thyme and garlic and served it with a crunchy side salad and a mustard dressing. I used the cooking juice from the chicken as a ‘sauce’.
WINE SUGGESTION
My favourite rosé - and wedding wine! - was the perfect match for this chicken dish. Château d’Ollières is available from Les Caves de Pyrène. A good white option would be a Godello - Majestic sells a particularly nice one as part of the Winemaker Series. A juicy red would work equally well - something like Liatiko, also from Majestic.
If you’re serving your stuffing with beef or lamb, you’ll want to go for a more robust wine such as a Bordeaux or Châteauneuf du Pape.
SUPPLIERS
I used vegetables from Paull’s in Thames Ditton and meat from Peter J Dale Butchers in East Molesey. My wine picks are from Majestic in Molesey and Les Caves de Pyrène (online).
