Chestnut Stuffing w/ Leeks & Apples c/o The Parsley Thief

  

Recipe: Chestnut Stuffing with Leeks & Apples c/o The Parsely Thief

Chestnut Stuffing with Leeks & Apples

Adapted from Gourmet magazine, November 2008

Serves 4-6 {This recipe can easily be doubled for a big crowd}

Roasted chestnuts in a bottle are quite pricey.  Although time consuming, you can save money by roasting your own.  The bottled chestnuts can be found in most specialty grocery stores.

3 cups cubed white sandwich bread, crusts removed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups sliced leeks {white & light green parts}

1 rib celery, chopped

1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled & diced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper {to taste}

7-8 ounces bottled roasted chestnuts, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lay the cubed bread out on a baking sheet & bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until mostly dried.  As an alternative, you can also leave the bread out at room temperature for 24 hours to let it dry.  Transfer to a mixing bowl & set aside.

Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees.  Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the leeks & celery.  Cover & cook, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes, or until the leeks are tender.  Add in the thyme leaves, apple, salt & pepper.  Cook, covered, for an additional 5 minutes.

Add the leek mixture to the mixing bowl with the bread.  Stir in the chestnuts, cream & parsley.  Check for seasoning & add a bit more salt & pepper, as desired.

Transfer the stuffing to a buttered casserole dish & bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through & the top is golden brown {For a larger batch, increase the cooking time to 30 minutes}.

Comments

[Irene]

Awesome...looks so good. Can't wait to try it!

[Amy Kundrat]

Thanks Katie, I'll be making this for my gathering.