Makes about 3 cups

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 mild Italian sausages, homemade or store-bought, removed from the casings
• ½ cup chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 cups ¼-inch bread cubes, roughly cut from day-old coarse bread (don’t use store-bought dried bread cubes)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 cup cooked spinach, squeezed dry and chopped (frozen is okay)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the porcini in a small bowl and cover with the boiling water. Soak for at least 45 minutes, or up to several hours, until soft.
2. Remove the porcini from the liquid with a slotted spoon. Chop and set aside. Strain the soaking liquid, leaving behind any grit in the bottom of the bowl, and reserve.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking the meat apart with a fork as it browns. Add the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes more, stirring from time to time, until the vegetables are tender.
4. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the bread cubes, rosemary, spinach, and egg and mix well. Moisten with ¼ cup of the reserved mushroom liquid. The stuffing should be slightly moist, but not wet. (Save any leftover mushroom liquid for the Toasted Peppercorn and Whiskey Sauce.) Season to taste with salt and pepper and refrigerate until cool. (The stuffing is best made a day ahead and refrigerated, but don’t stuff the meat ahead, as spoilage can easily occur.)
5. If you have extra stuffing, bake it in a buttered casserole dish for 30 minutes.

COOK’S NOTE

• Make sure not to stuff the meat ahead, as spoilage can easily occur.