Kitchen Cabinet - stuffing turkey - Recipe

Apricot Dressing

Michelle Diez, Issaquah, Washington

According to Michelle Diez, this is the ultimate dressing. Her tangy secret is Chinese-style plum sauce; look for it in the Asian foods section of well-stocked supermarkets.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/2 hours

MAKES: About 12 cups; 12 to 14 servings

1 cup chopped dried apricots

1 1/2 cups orange juice

3/4 cup (3/8 lb.) butter or margarine

2 cups coarsely chopped celery

1 onion (1/2 lb.), peeled and chopped

1 cup silvered almonds

1 pound bulk pork sausage

1 bag (1 lb.) herb stuffing mix

1 jar (8 oz.) plum sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 to 2 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth

Salt and pepper

1. In a 1- to 2-quart pan over high heat, bring apricots and orange juice to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium heat, frequently stir 1/2 cup butter, celery, and onion until vegetables are limp, about 15 minutes. Add almonds and stir until nuts are golden, 6 to 10 minutes longer. Scrape mixture into a large bowl.

3. In the same frying pan over medium-high heat, frequently stir sausage, crumbling with spoon, until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain and discard fat; add sausage to bowl. Add apricots with orange juice, stuffing mix, plum sauce, and thyme; mix well.

4. In the frying pan, combine [fraction one-quarter] cup butter and 1 cup broth; stir often over medium-high heat until butter is melted. Drizzle over mixture in bowl, mixing to moisten evenly; dressing will be crumbly. For a more moist dressing, mix in up to 1 more cup broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon dressing into a shallow 3-quart casserole. (If making up to 1 day ahead, cover and chill.)

5. Bake in a 350 [degrees] oven (uncovered for crusty dressing, covered tightly for moist dressing) until hot (at least 150 [degrees] in center), 25 to 30 minutes (55 to 60 minutes if chilled).

Per serving: 398 cal., 47% (189 cal.) from fat; 10 g protein; 21 g fat (8.4 g sat.); 43 g carbo (4 g fiber); 863 mg sodium; 40 mg chol.

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