Sara Moulton’s Italian Sausage and Chestnut Stuffing

1 (1 1/4-lb) loaf country style bread, crust discarded and bread cut into 3/4-inch cubes (8 cups)
1/2 lb sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
3 medium onions, chopped,
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
1/3 cup Cognac or other brandy
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 cup turkey or low-sodium chicken stock
2 large eggs
1 (14- to 15-oz) jar peeled cooked whole chestnuts, coarsely crumbled (3 cups)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F oven. Butter a 2 1/2 -to 3-quart shallow baking dish. Arrange bread cubes in one layer in a half sheet pan with sides and bake in lower third of oven until completely dry, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes. Leave oven on.

While bread is toasting cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until crisp, about 10 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.

Pour off and discard all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat from skillet, then sauté onions in fat over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add celery and sauté, stirring, 3 minutes, then transfer vegetables to bowl with bacon.

Remove casings from sausage. Heat skillet over moderate heat and crumble sausage into pan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until sausage is no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes, then transfer with slotted spoon to onion mixture.

Pour off any remaining fat from skillet. Off heat, add cognac to pan, then return pan to heat and simmer, scraping up brown bits from bottom. Add deglazing liquid to sausage mixture.

Increase oven temperature to 375°F. Soak bread cubes in half and half in a bowl, tossing frequently, until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Gently squeeze excess liquid from bread, then add add to sausage mixture, discarding remaining half and half. Combine stock and egg and add to stuffing, then stir in chestnuts, herbs, salt and pepper.

Transfer stuffing to baking dish and cover with foil, then bake in upper third of oven 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is crisp, about 20 minutes more.

Makes 8 to 10 servings