FDR Chestnut Stuffing Recipe: Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Side
Taste a bite of history with this old fashioned Chestnut Stuffing recipe from the presidential vaults!
Equipment
- 1 oven-safe casserole dish 9 x 13″ or similar size
- 1 Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lb chestnuts cooked, peeled, chopped
- 2 tbsp bacon fat substitute unsalted butter or clarified butter
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- ¼ cup celery chopped
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 cups dry or bread cut or torn into 1-inch pieces; sourdough works well
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley minced
- ¼ tsp nutmeg freshly ground if possible
- black pepper to taste
- fine salt to taste
- 1 cup broth As 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.