Ingredients
1 cup sweet Marsala wine
1/4 cup (1 ounce) dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 ounces Italian sweet sausages, casings removed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound mixed fresh mushrooms, such as shiitake, chanterelle, portobello, cremini, and button, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 cup chopped fresh sage
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup chopped pitted prunes (2 ounces)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
6 ounces white sandwich bread, preferably unsliced, cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/2 cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
Preparation
Bring Marsala to a simmer in a saucepan. Pour over dried porcini in a bowl, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sausages, and cook, crumbling with a spoon, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add onion, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage and onion to a bowl.
Add 4 tablespoons butter and fresh mushrooms to skillet, and cook until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain dried porcini, reserving liquid, and squeeze in paper towels to remove any excess liquid; coarsely chop. Add dried porcini to skillet along with herbs, prunes, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes.
Add mushroom mixture to sausages. Strain reserved Marsala through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel. (Mushroom-sausage mixture and Marsala can be refrigerated separately in airtight containers overnight.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, red-pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Add toasted bread mixture and reserved Marsala to mushroom-sausage mixture, and toss. Reserve 2 to 3 cups for stuffing the pork roast (see recipe, page 110). Transfer remaining stuffing to an 8-inch baking dish. Pour stock over top, and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces. Cover with parchment and then foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover, and bake until top is crisp, about 25 minutes more.
