1 oven-safe casserole dish 9 x 13″ or similar size
1 Large Skillet
Ingredients
2 ½lbchestnutscooked, peeled, chopped
2tbspbacon fatsubstitute unsalted butter or clarified butter
1mediumyellow onionchopped
¼cupcelerychopped
12tbspunsalted butter
4cupsdry or breadcut or torn into 1-inch pieces; sourdough works well
1lemonzested and juiced
¼cupflat leaf parsleyminced
¼tspnutmegfreshly ground if possible
black pepperto taste
fine saltto taste
1cupbrothAs needed! homemade, no-salt-added turkey or chicken broth)
Instructions
Prepare the Ingredients
Chop the onion and celery. Mince the parsley. Cut the dry bread into cubes.
Tenderize the Chestnuts
Score the chestnut skins longitudinally across each chestnut's belly. Use a paring knife, chestnut knife or kitchen scissors to do this job. Read the article for tips!
2 ½ lb chestnuts
Boil chestnuts in a pot filled with salted water until they become soft —about 10 minutes. Drain.Remove the skins from the chestnuts and break the meat into small pieces. Set the chestnuts aside.
Sauté the Aromatics
In a large skillet, melt the bacon fat over medium heat.
2 tbsp bacon fat
Add onions and celery to the fat, sautéing them until tender—about 6 minutes. Combine these with the prepared chestnuts.
1 medium yellow onion, ¼ cup celery
Brown and Moisten the Bread
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it turns a light golden hue and releases a fragrant aroma.
12 tbsp unsalted butter
Add the cubed bread and stir until it soaks up the butter uniformly.
4 cups dry or bread
Drizzle a small amount of warm broth over the bread cubes. Aim to cover the surface lightly but not saturate it. Stir gently.Press a piece of the moistened bread between your fingers. It should yield easily but not disintegrate. If the bread still feels overly dry or hard, it requires more broth. Add more broth as needed.
1 cup broth
Make the Chestnut Stuffing
Combine the bread with the chestnuts and vegetables. Season with lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, and nutmeg. Add salt and pepper to taste.
1 lemon, ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, ¼ tsp nutmeg, black pepper, fine salt
Bake the Chestnut Stuffing
Spread the ingredients evenly in a 9 x 13″ casserole dish. Cover the chestnut stuffing with aluminum foil.
Bake the chestnut stuffing in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for about 20 minutes. For a crisp finish, remove the foil during the last 10 minutes.