Sausage-Maple Bread Stuffing

Ingredients

Bread, dense, cut into ¾-inch cubes about 13 cups (3 ½ liters)

Butter, softened 5 oz. or 10 Tbsp (140g)

Thyme, fresh, chopped 1/3 cup (90ml)

Sage, fresh, chopped 1/3 cup (90ml)

Yellow onions, diced 3 cups (720ml)

Celery stalks, diced 3 cups (6 large stalks)

Chicken stock (maggi) 7 ½ cups (1lt 800ml)

Bay leaves 2 each

Ham Hock, smoked 1 each about 1lb (500g)

Ground Pork sausage 1 lb (500g)

Maple syrup 1/3 cup (90ml)

Ground Black Pepper 1 ½ tsp

Salt (may not be needed if chicken stock is salty) to taste

Procedure

1. Lay the bread cubes in a single layer on two baking sheets. Leave out to dry completely at room temperature, tossing once or twice, for about 2 days or bake slow in the oven on low heat till dry (does not take very long).
2. Position rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
3. In a heavy-based, 8-qt, stockpot or Dutch oven, melt 5 Tbsp of the butter over medium heat until it begins to foam. Stir in the thyme and sage cook just enough to coat the herbs and season the butter, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in the onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken stock, bay leaves and ham hock and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the liquid reduces by one-third, about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, put the sausage on a baking sheet and break it into quarter-size chunks. Roast until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Let cool, and then chop the sausage into smaller pieces.
5. Add the sausage to the broth and simmer just to allow the flavors to meld, about 5 minutes. Remove the ham hock and bay leaves. Discard the bay leaves and set the hock aside to cool. Stir the dried bread, several cups at a time, into the broth until all of the broth is absorbed and the bread cubes are well moistened. Stir in the maple syrup, pepper, and the remaining 5 Tbsp butter.
6. When the hock is cool enough to handle, pick the meat, chop it into small pieces, and add to the stuffing. Season to taste with salt if necessary (depending on the sausage, ham hock, and broth all of which are salty, there already may be enough).
7. Transfer the stuffing to a baking dish and bake uncovered at 375°F (190°C) until heated through and crisp on top, about 20 minutes if freshly made, or about 30 minutes if made ahead.

Options:

The bread can be dried weeks in advance, bagged, frozen, and then thawed when ready to use. The stuffing can be made (but not baked) up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, covered.