Apple Shallot Stuffing

Ingredients

• 1 cup apple cider 
• 1 teaspoon pepper black
• 1.5 lb bread whole-wheat country-style cut into 1/2-inch cubes (12 cups)
• 1 cup currants dried
• 1.3 teaspoons marjoram dried crumbled
• 1 pinch ground allspice 
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest fresh finely grated
• 2 cups chicken broth low-sodium
• 0.3 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
• 1.5 teaspoons salt 
• 3 cups shallots chopped
• 2 lb tart apples such as mcintosh 
• 0.8 cup butter unsalted
• 0.5 lb walnuts toasted coarsely chopped

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• baking pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Spread bread cubes in 2 shallow baking pans and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until golden, 20 to 25 minutes total. Cool bread in pans on racks, then transfer to a large bowl.
3. Melt butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, then add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are well browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. While shallots are cooking, peel, core, and coarsely chop apples. Boil currants and cider in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally, until cider is absorbed, 6 to 8 minutes.
5. Add apples to browned shallots along with marjoram, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and allspice and cook, stirring occasionally, until apples begin to soften, about 8 minutes.
6. Transfer currants and apple mixture to bowl with bread cubes, then add walnuts, zest, and stock and toss well.
7. Transfer stuffing to a buttered 3- to 3 1/2-quart shallow baking dish.
8. Bake, covered, in middle of oven 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until browned, about 30 minutes more.
9. Stuffing can be assembled (but not baked) 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before baking.