My strongest memories of Thanksgiving are the mingling smells of chopped parsley, melted butter, and chicken broth going into the stuffing, and the sounds of cheering and yelling as we all watched the Army-Navy football game. At Bayona we always serve two different stuffings with our roast turkey. One is my mom’s simple bread stuffing, and the other is loaded with local flavors like shrimp (or crayfish) and andouille. I still like my mom’s the best. I call for both stuffings to be baked in casseroles, but you can also follow your favorite method for baking them inside a bird.

　　

Ingredients

makes 12 servings

　　1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter

　　1 bunch celery, finely chopped (about 2 cups)

　　2 medium onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)

　　2 bunches scallions (white and green), finely chopped (about 2 cups)

　　1 tablespoon each finely chopped fresh thyme and sage

　　6 cups dried bread, torn in 1/2-inch pieces

　　4–5 cups Chicken Stock (p. 206)

　　1 bunch fresh Italian parsley, chopped (about 3/4 cup)

　　Salt and pepper

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

Melt one of the sticks of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, onions, and half the scallions and cook for 5–7 minutes. Add the thyme and sage and cook another 2–3 minutes. Scrape the vegetables into a large bowl and add the bread. In a separate saucepan, bring the stock to a boil and add the other half of the butter to it. Pour this over the bread mixture, then add the remaining scallions and parsley, season with salt and pepper, and stir well to soak all the bread. Place in a medium casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake for 15–20 minutes. Uncover and cook for about 10 more minutes, until the top is crusty and golden brown.

　　From Crescent City Cooking by Susan Spicer Copyright (c) 2007 by Susan Spicer Published by Knopf.Susan Spicer was born in Key West, Florida, and lived in Holland until the age of seven, when her family moved to New Orleans. She has lived there ever since, and is the owner of two restaurants, Bayona and Herbsaint. This is her first cookbook.Paula Disbrowe was the former Cowgirl Chef at Hart & Hind Fitness Ranch in Rio Frio, Texas. Prior to that, she spent ten years working as a food and travel writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, and Saveur, among other major publications.