Preparation time: | 45 mins |
Cooking time: | 55 mins |
1. Bring Marsala wine to a simmer in a saucepan. Pour over the dried porcini in a bowl, cover, and let it stand for 1 hour (please note soaking time is not included in overall preparation time)
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Add sausages, and cook, crumbling with a spoon, until browned, for about 8 minutes. Add the onion, and cook until softened, for about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage and onion to a bowl.
3. Add 4 tablespoons of butter and fresh mushrooms to the frying pan, and cook until browned, between 8 and 10 minutes. Drain the dried porcini, reserving the liquid, and squeeze in paper towels to remove any excess liquid; coarsely chop the porcini. Add the dried porcini to the frying pan along with herbs, prunes, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the mushroom mixture to sausages. Strain the reserved Marsala through a sieve lined with a paper towel. (The mushroom-sausage mixture and Marsala can be refrigerated separately in airtight containers overnight.)
5.Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Place bread on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, red-pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Bake until golden brown, for about 15 minutes.
6. Add the toasted bread mixture and reserved Marsala to the mushroom-sausage mixture, and toss. Reserve 2 to 3 cups for stuffing the roast meat itself. Transfer the remaining stuffing to an 8-inch baking dish. Pour the stock over the top, and dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter cut into small pieces. Cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover, and bake until top is crisp, for about 25 minutes more.