Chestnut Stuffing With Pancetta And Fennel Food

CIABATTA STUFFING WITH CHESTNUTS AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a 15 by 10 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a large bowl. Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, and garlic. Saute until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes. Gently stir in the chestnuts and parsley. Transfer the onion mixture to the large bowl with the pancetta. Add the bread and Parmesan and toss to coat. Add enough broth to the stuffing mixture to moisten. Season the stuffing, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mix in the eggs.
• Transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until the stuffing is heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.

CHESTNUT STUFFING WITH PANCETTA AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Cut the crusts off the bread and tear remaining loaves into 1-inch pieces; put into a large bowl. Toss with 2/3 cup olive oil. Spread on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Toast on staggered oven shelves in a preheated 400-degree oven 12 to 15 minutes, tossing occasionally, until croutons are golden-brown and crispy on the outside but still a little soft and tender inside. Reverse baking sheets halfway through cooking time. Cool.
• Toast the fennel seeds in a small pan over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan often, until the seeds release their aroma and turn a light golden brown. Coarsely grind the seeds with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Set aside.
• Heat a large saute pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and the pancetta. Saute 1 to 2 minutes. Turn heat down to medium, add rosemary sprigs and red-pepper flakes and cook one minute. Add onion, fennel, fennel seeds and thyme. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grindings of pepper. Saute about 8 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly caramelized. If making ahead, cool and refrigerate vegetables. Otherwise, add to the croutons and set aside.
• Return pan to high heat and pour in white wine. Bring to a boil and reduce by three-quarters. Add chicken stock or broth and bring to a boil. Pour hot liquid over croutons and vegetables, tossing well to combine. Stir occasionally so that the liquid that settles in the bottom of the bowl can be redistributed.
• Wipe pan out with paper towels, and return to the stove over medium heat. Swirl in 4 tablespoons butter, and when it foams, add chestnuts. Saute 4 to 5 minutes, until the chestnuts are golden and sizzling. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper; add to the stuffing. Stir to combine, and adjust seasonings if needed. Add eggs and parsley, toss well and put the stuffing into a 2 1/2 -quart casserole. Don't pile it too high - any that remains can be put into a smaller casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes in a preheated 375-degree oven. Remove foil and top stuffing with remaining butter cut into small pieces. Cook uncovered about 15 minutes or until crispy on top.

PANCETTA AND CHESTNUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat chicken stock in a small pot to a low simmer, then set aside over low heat.
• Add pancetta to a large low-sided pot or rondeau over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove pancetta from the pot and drain the fat, reserving 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add olive oil and heat to shimmering. Add the mushrooms and sear on all sides until golden brown and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt. Add 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar to deglaze the pot. Remove mushrooms from pot and set aside. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the same pot on high heat, then the celery, onions, carrot and chestnuts. Cook until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and the tomato paste and cook until richly caramelized but not burnt, another 5 to 7 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, then deglaze with 2 cups of the chicken stock and add the reserved mushrooms. Cook until reduced by three-quarters, about 10 minutes. Season with thyme, salt, pepper and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar and turn off the heat. Add 2 more cups of the hot chicken stock to the pot along with the bread, pancetta and the reserved pancetta fat.
• Let stand for 45 minutes, allowing the bread to absorb all of the flavor.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• If the stuffing seems dry, add the remaining cup chicken stock. Add the egg and fold to combine. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with Parmesan and bake until a nice crust forms on top, about 25 minutes. Garnish with chives.

FETTUCCINE WITH PANCETTA AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add pancetta and garlic; sauté until garlic is pale golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup chopped fennel fronds, fennel wedges, fennel seeds and crushed red pepper. Cover and cook until fennel wedges are soft, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add cream; cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook fettuccine in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Toss pasta with fennel mixture and enough reserved cooking water to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing Parmesan cheese separately.

GRILLED VEAL CHOPS WITH CHESTNUT STUFFING AND PICKLED GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• Season the veal chops with the rosemary, thyme, garlic, and olive oil. Cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
• Light the grill 30 to 40 minutes before cooking, and remove the veal chops from the refrigerator to come to room temperature.
• When the coals are broken down, red, and glowing, season both sides of the veal chops generously with fleur de sel and cracked black pepper. Place the chops on the grill, and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, rotating once or twice, to sear nicely. Cook until medium-rare to medium-you can peek inside at the bone to check that the meat is still a little pink.
• Scatter the arugula leaves over a large platter. Place the chops on top, and spoon the golden raisins over. Pass the stuffing at the table.
• Brian's Pickled Golden Raisins
• Place the mustard seeds in a small pan over medium heat, and toast a few minutes, shaking the pan often, until the seeds just start to pop.
• Combine the mustard seeds with 1 cup water and the rest of the ingredients in a small nonaluminum pot. Bring to a boil, and turn the heat down to a low simmer. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by half. Let the raisins cool, and store them in the liquid in the refrigerator.
• Chestnut Stuffing
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Cut the crust off the bread and tear the remaining loaf into 1-inch pieces. Using your hands, toss with 6 tablespoons olive oil, squeezing the bread with your hands to help it absorb the olive oil. Toast on a baking sheet 12 to 15 minutes, tossing often, until the croutons are golden brown and crispy on the outside but still a little soft and tender inside. When the croutons have cooled, place them in a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, toast the fennel seeds in a small pan over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan often, until the seeds release their aroma and turn a light golden brown. Coarsely grind the seeds with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the pancetta. Sauté 1 to 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Turn the heat down to medium, add the rosemary sprig and the chile, and let them sizzle in the pan a minute. Add the onion, fennel, fennel seeds, and thyme. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grindings of pepper. Sauté about 8 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly caramelized. Stir in the lemon zest, and add the entire mixture to the croutons.
• Return the pan to high heat and pour in the white wine. Bring the wine to a boil, and reduce by three-quarters. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Pour the hot liquid over the croutons and vegetables, and toss well to combine.
• Wipe the pan out with paper towels, and return it to the stove over medium heat. Swirl in 2 tablespoons butter, and when it foams, add the chestnuts. Sauté 4 to 5 minutes, until the chestnuts are golden and sizzling in the butter. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and add to the stuffing. Stir to combine, and taste for seasoning. Add the egg and parsley. Toss well, and put the stuffing in a ceramic baking dish or casserole. Cover with foil, and bake 40 minutes. Remove the foil, and top the stuffing with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes. Return the stuffing to the oven, and cook about 20 minutes, until crispy on top.
• Note
• You can bake the stuffing the day before. Reheat covered with aluminum foil, and then uncover and top with little pats of butter. Return to the oven, and bake until nice and crispy on top. The pickled raisins can be made long in advance.
• The notion of roasting chestnuts over an open fire is picturesque and romantic, but in reality it's a tedious and very time-consuming chore to peel them once they're roasted. Instead, I use steamed chestnuts sold in a jar, available at quality supermarkets and gourmet shops.

CIABATTA STUFFING WITH CHESTNUTS AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a 15 by 10 by 2-inch glass baking dish.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat.
• Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a large bowl.
• Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, and garlic.
• Saute until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes.
• Gently stir in the chestnuts and parsley.
• Transfer the onion mixture to the large bowl with the pancetta.
• Add the bread and Parmesan and toss to coat.
• Add enough broth to the stuffing mixture to moisten.
• Season the stuffing, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Mix in the eggs.
• Transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish.
• Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until the stuffing is heated through, about 30 minutes.
• Uncover and continue baking until the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.