Christmas Food: Recipe #3 Chestnut and mushroom Stuffing

Welcome back to my week long series of ………not really wedding related but hey ho, It’s Christmas after all!

Yesterday I brought you 2 tasty Christmas Canapé recipes and today I bring you a classic recipe for the perfect Chestnut and mushroom Stuffing! Thanks again to PJ Taste for the recipes.

Chestnut and Mushroom Stuffing

You will need

200g pound fresh chestnuts
200g unsalted butter
½ lt breadcrumbs, such as rye or sourdough, crust removed and cut into 1-inch cubes
Punnet of wild mushrooms or 50g dried mushrooms
1 medium onion, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
Small bunch fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Using chestnut knife or sharp paring knife, make large X on flat side of each chestnut through shell but not meat.

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Soak chestnuts in bowl of warm water to cover by 2 inches for 15 minutes, and then drain well. Arrange chestnuts in 1 layer in shallow baking pan, then roast in middle of oven until shells curl away at X mark, about 15 minutes. Wearing protective gloves peel away shells from chestnuts while still hot.

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In large pot boiling water, blanch chestnuts 2 minutes, then drain. Using kitchen towel, rub chestnuts to remove skins. Coarsely chop and reserve. Leave oven on.

Butter 9- by 13-inch casserole dish with 1 tablespoon butter.

On foil-lined baking sheet, toast bread in 350°F oven, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Place in large mixing bowl and set aside. Leave oven on.

In heavy frying pan melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring, until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Add another 2 tablespoons butter and heat until melted. Add onion and celery, and sauté until translucent, 6 to 7 minutes.

Add mushroom mixture plus parsley and thyme to bread and gently stir to combine.

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In heavy, small pot over moderate heat bring the stock to a gentle boil. Pour into bread mixture and gently toss to combine. Stir in egg, salt, and pepper. The stuffing is now ready to be used to stuff meat or cooked as it is in a casserole dish. The stuffing can be prepared up to this point and kept, covered and refrigerated, up to four hours. Bake until golden brown and heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

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