Ted Allen’s Chestnut Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh chestnuts
- 8 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs, from crusty bread
- 4 cups diced cornbread
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
- 1 extra-large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 turkey liver, cleaned and finely chopped
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup sage leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup chicken or turkey stock, preferably homemade or low-sodium, store-bought
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Cut an X into the round end of each chestnut, place on a rimmed baking sheet, put in the oven and add 1/4 cup water to the pan. Roast for 10 minutes; the shells should peel back where they were cut. Remove pan from the oven, let chestnuts cool a minute or two then peel while the chestnuts are still warm. Chip coarsely.
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery and chopped liver, and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Add to the bowl with the chestnuts.
Stir in the eggs, parsley, sage, salt, pepper and chicken stock. Spoon stuffing into a buttered 3-quart baking dish and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes, until browned.