Focaccia dressing with local Italian Sausage ,apples and sage

CHEF CHRIS VIZZINA'S Focaccia dressing with local Italian Sausage ,apples and sage

 About 20 servings

10 cups of cubed and toasted Focaccia Bread
1.5 lb. italian sausage mild ,taken out of the casing
2 T butter
2 cups small diced onion
2 cups small diced celery
Sea salt

2 granny smith apples peeled cored and medium diced
1.5 cups of cranberries or raisins
1 cup toasted walnuts
1/4 cup sage
1 T chopped fresh thyme
1 cup chopped freshet italian flat leaf parsley
2 eggs
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 baking dish
2. Place toasted bread in mixing bowl
3. In a large non stick pan render sausage until cooked evenly and broken up into small pieces
4. Add sausage to bread cubes and toss
5. In the same pan add a couple of T of olive oil and sauté onions and celery until translucent, season with salt and pepper to taste,add apples and cranberries or raisins ,walnuts,sage,thyme and parsley, add to mixing  bowl
6. Whisk eggs into chicken stock until fully incorporated add to bowl and mix well so all bread is coated
7. Bake for for 30 minutes covered and then another 15 minutes uncovered ,cook until golden brown

GDA Cooking - November 5, 2012