Fennel Prosciutto And Pine Nut Stuffing Recipes

PROSCIUTTO OR PANCETTA-WRAPPED PORK ROAST WITH FENNEL AND GOLDEN RAISIN STUFFING

Steps:

• For the fennel and golden raisin stuffing: Place the golden raisins in a small dish, cover with boiling water and let stand to soften. Melt the butter with a turn of the pan of EVOO in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, fennel (reserving the fronds) and onions, sprinkle with some salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables soften, 12 to 15 minutes. Deglaze with the wine, transfer to a bowl and let cool completely. Drain and chop the raisins, and then combine with the fennel, onions, ground pork, pine nuts and thyme. For the prosciutto-wrapped pork roast: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butterfly the meat by thirds: Measure one-third from the bottom of the loin, and make a lengthwise cut along one longer side (not going all the way through to the opposite side). Continue to make long cuts to open up the meat. When you have reached almost to the opposite side of the roast with your lengthwise cuts, stop and roll the top two-thirds of the roast over. Measure the height of the rolled-over portion and make a lengthwise cut to butterfly this in half. Continue slicing and opening up the meat until the loin has been butterflied into a single slab. Pound the meat with a meat mallet to 3/4-inch thick, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the stuffing over the meat, leaving a 1-inch border. Roll up the pork, cover with overlapping slices of the prosciutto, and tie in intervals with twine to secure. Heat 2 turns of the pan of EVOO in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown evenly all over. Toss the potatoes and onions in a roasting pan together with the rosemary, garlic, about 1/4 cup EVOO, and some salt and pepper. Set the browned roast on top and deglaze the Dutch oven with the wine, scraping up the bits from the bottom. Pour the liquid over the pork. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, up to 2 hours, then let rest 30 minutes under a foil tent. Before serving, place the roasting pan on a burner, deglaze with the stock and then stir in the fennel fronds and butter. Slice the roast, spoon the fennel butter jus over top and serve alongside the potatoes and onions.

SAUSAGE FENNEL STUFFING

Steps:

• In a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet cook sausage over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up lumps with a fork, until no longer pink. Transfer sausage with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.
• Add butter to fat remaining in skillet and cook onions, chopped fennel, fennel seeds, and salt to taste over moderate heat, stirring, until fennel is softened, about 10 minutes. Add apéritif, thyme, and tarragon and cook, stirring, until most liquid is evaporated. Add mixture to sausage with corn bread or packaged stuffing and toss to combine well. Season stuffing with salt and pepper and cool completely. Stuffing may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. (To prevent bacterial growth do not stuff turkey cavities ahead.)

PROSCIUTTO PARMESAN AND PINE NUT BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, cream the butter. Blend in prosciutto, Parmesan cheese and ground black pepper.
• Place baguettes on a medium baking sheet. Heat in the preheated oven until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.
• Spread baguette slices with the butter mixture. Arrange on a large serving platter. Sprinkle with pine nuts.

SAUSAGE FENNEL STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Spread bread crumbs in 2 shallow baking pans and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven until golden and dry, about 15 minutes. Cool crumbs in pans on racks, then transfer to a large bowl.
• Cook sausage in a dry 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring and breaking up pieces with a fork, until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread crumbs with a slotted spoon.
• Melt 6 tablespoons butter in skillet over moderate heat, then add onions, fennel bulb, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Finely grind fennel seeds in coffee/spice grinder, then add to vegetables in skillet along with thyme and tarragon and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
• Transfer vegetables to bowl with bread crumbs and sausage and toss gently but thoroughly. Spoon stuffing into a buttered 3- to 3 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. Drizzle with stock and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter, cut into bits. Bake, covered, in middle of oven 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until browned, about 30 minutes more.