This savory cornbread and sausage stuffing with fried sage leaves and fresh herbs is the ultimate classic stuffing recipe for your holiday feast. Cornbread recipe very slightly adapted from Ronni Lundy’s beautiful and essential book Victuals.
Meanwhile, in a wide, deep skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. When butter is hot and bubbly, add the sage leaves and cook 30 - 60 seconds – leaves should deepen in color slightly but not turn at all brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with sea salt. Add the onions, leeks, and garlic or shallots to the hot butter, and sauté 5 minutes. Add the celery and sauté 7 minutes more. Add a pinch of sea salt and pepper as things cook. Scrape vegetables into a large mixing bowl.
Set the skillet back on the burner and turn heat to medium-high. If needed, remove sausage from casings and sear until cooked through (work in batches to avoid crowding). Use a slotted spoon to remove cooked sausage from the pan, allowing the grease to drip off.