Brioche filling with pears, Italian sausage and almonds (garnish)

Ingredients:

• Brioche bun
• 110 g + 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cups chopped onion, green onion, or leek
• 2 cups diced celery
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or turkey broth
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• Pears, cut into small pieces and fried in butter
• 450 g Italian sausage (without casings), fried and crumbled
• 1 cup coarsely chopped almonds

Preparation:

1. Cut the brioche into 1-cm cubes to make 16 cups. Stale bread works best for the filling. If you're using fresh bread, spread the cubes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven at 150°C for 15-20 minutes.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 110g of butter. Add the onion, celery, sage, thyme, and salt and black pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a simmer, and remove from heat.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and parsley, then add the bread cubes, vegetable mixture, prepared pears, meat and almonds.
4. Transfer the mixture to a greased 3-4 quart baking dish and scatter the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter on top. Cover with foil and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes more.