How to Make Chestnut Stuffing

Chestnuts roasting in a ' in, uh, your stove. This stuffing smells dynamite when you're making it and even better out of the bird. Makes 10-11 cups.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 8 tbsp. butter
• 3 ribs celery with leaves, chopped
• 16 oz. chestnuts
• 1 large chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 lb. sourdough bread
• 3 cups turkey stock
• Groceries
• Baking Dishes
• Cookie Sheets
• Mixing Bowls
• Paring Knives
• Skillets
• Spatulas
• Cookie sheets
• Spatulas
• Mixing bowls
• Skillets

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Cut a deep "X" into the flattest side of each chestnut and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until outer skin of chestnut splits.

3. Wrap roasted chestnuts in a towel to keep warm.

4. Peel off the tough outer skin of the chestnut and thinner inner skin with a sharp knife.

5. Chop the chestnuts coarsely and set aside.

6. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

7. Empty skillet contents into a large bowl. Add cubed bread, parsley and enough stock to moisten the mix, about 2 1/2 cups.

8. Stir in chestnuts and add salt and pepper to taste.

9. Use to stuff poultry, or place in a buttered baking dish, drizzle with 1/2 cup more stock and bake 30 minutes to an hour.

Tips & Warnings

• You can substitute a 15-oz. bag of cubed, seasoned stuffing for fresh bread.
• Before mixing together the stuffing, cut up bread into 1/2-inch cubes and leave out to dry overnight. You can also bake the cubes in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Do not toast.
• Peeling the chestnuts can take a while, but it's worth it. They taste great!

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on 1/16/2006 In addition to the above ingredients, my Grandmother adds a pound of loose pork sausage and plenty of fresh, scissored herbs: rosemary, sage, thyme and a couple of bay leaves.

on 11/22/2005 I like to use the canned water chestnuts. They seem to add the moisture and the nutty flavor.