Pork And Chestnut Stuffing Food

STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5.
• Peel, quarter and blitz the onions in a food processor until finely chopped, then tip into a large bowl.
• Tear the stale bread into small chunks and whiz into breadcrumbs. Add these to the bowl, then crush and crumble in the chestnuts.
• Place the diced pork into the food processor, pick in the sage leaves, roughly chop and add the bacon, followed by 1 level teaspoon of white pepper and a good pinch of sea salt.
• Finely grate in a quarter of the nutmeg, the zest of half a lemon and just 2 or 3 gratings of orange or clementine zest. Pulse until you've got some chunks and some mush - it won't even take a minute, then tip into the mixing bowl.
• Because the pork is raw, you're committed to seasoning it well, so add another pinch of salt and pepper, then scrunch it all up until well combined.
• Take just under half of the stuffing out of the bowl to use for your turkey, then transfer the rest to a lovely earthenware dish.
• Use your hands to break it up and push it about, then flatten it all down. Pop it in the oven to cook for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until bubbling and crispy. If you're doing it as part of your Christmas lunch, you want to put it on at the same time as your spuds.
• Once done, pour away any excess fat before serving, if you want to. It will be soft, juicy and succulent on the inside, then gnarly, crispy and chewy on the outside. Enjoy!

CHESTNUT AND PEAR STUFFING

Steps:

• Coat a wide, straight-sided pan with olive oil and add the bacon. Bring the pan to a medium heat and let the bacon get brown and crispy.
• Add the celery, onions and fennel and season with salt. Cook the veggies until they get soft and very aromatic, 8 to10 minutes. Add the rosemary and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Toss in the chestnuts, cranberries and pears, and stir to combine. Add the wine and let it reduce by half.
• Put the bread in a large mixing bowl and add the cooked veggie mixture to the bread. Stir to combine and douse the bread with half the stock. Use your hands to combine the bread, veggies and stock. Add more stock when/if needed to really saturate the bread. Season with salt and taste it to make sure it is delicious.
• Use the stuffing to stuff a turkey or pork crown roast, or place in a roasting pan and bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees F.

CROWN ROAST OF PORK WITH CHESTNUT SAUSAGE STUFFING

Steps:

• Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lay the racks of pork on a cutting board with the ribs curving upward. Cut 1/2-inch deep slits in the meat between each rib bone. Stand the racks up back to back, fat sides touching, with the meaty-sides down and the concave curve of the ribs facing upward.
• Thread a trussing needle with kitchen string and use it to pierce between the upper third of the two last rib bone ends and tie them together; repeat in the lower third of the last two rib bone ends to tie them together. Repeat on the other end of the racks. Shape the tied meat into an oval, bending where the slits are, to make a crown. Tie a string around the entire meaty bottom of the pork below the other two ties, securing the racks together so they hold their shape.
• Transfer the pork to a roasting pan or low-sided braiser. Rub the pork with the olive oil and season with the rosemary, salt and pepper. Fill the center of the roast with Chestnut and Sausage Stuffing, then transfer to the oven.
• Roast the pork until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the meat reads 140 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour 45 minutes,. Transfer to a cutting board or serving platter and let rest for 20 minutes. Pull out all the string ties, then carve into chops and serve with the stuffing.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the bread pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast until lightly golden and dry, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until browned and no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, fennel and onions to the sausage pan. Add the butter and some salt and pepper. Stir to combine the vegetables and cook until they are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Next, add the parsley, sage and thyme.
• In the mixing bowl with the golden bread chunks, add the chestnuts and chicken broth. Add the sausage mixture and stir to combine. If filling the crown roast of pork, the stuffing is ready to use at this point.
• Alternately, butter a 2-quart casserole dish and spoon the stuffing into the dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake until golden brown, 30 minutes.

PORK AND CHESTNUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Put the pork in a heavy skillet and cook for five minutes or until the pork loses its raw color, stirring and cutting down with a heavy metal spoon to break up the lumps. Add the onions and continue cooking, stirring, until the onions are wilted, about five minutes.
• Chop together the half bay leaf and thyme and add this to the pork. Add the wine and cook until the wine is reduced. Add salt and pepper.
• Add the chestnuts, chicken broth and parsley. Cook, stirring often, about five minutes. Stir in the egg and remove from the heat. Let cool.
• Stuff and roast the turkey. Butter a baking dish and add any leftover stuffing. Dot the top with about four tablespoons of butter and place in the oven. Bake 30 minutes. Serve the separate stuffing with the carved turkey.

CHESTNUT, BACON & CRANBERRY STUFFING

Steps:

• Soak the cranberries in the port for an hour. Fry the onion and bacon gently in the butter, until the onion is tender and the bacon is cooked. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so.
• Cool slightly, then mix with all the remaining ingredients, including the cranberries and port, adding enough egg to bind - I find it easiest to use my hands. Fry a knob of stuffing in a little butter, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• To Cook: This stuffing can be baked in a dish, or rolled into balls that will be crisp on the outside and moist inside. To bake, press the stuffing into a greased ovenproof dish in a layer that is around 4cm thick. Bake at 190C/gas 5/fan 170C for about 40 minutes, until browned and, in the case of sausagemeat stuffing, cooked right through. Alternatively, roll into balls that are about 4cm in diameter. Roast the stuffing balls in hot fat (they can be tucked around the turkey or done in a roasting tin of their own) for 30-40 minutes, until crisp and nicely browned on the outside.

CHESTNUT AND CRANBERRY DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 2 1/2 - 3 quart backing dish.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the stock until steam starts to rise, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add dried cranberries. Set aside.
• In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add onion, celery and carrots and saute, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl.
• If using, in same pan, saute the sausage, stirring and crumbling with a fork, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the bowl with vegetables.
• In a large bowl, stir the egg while slowly pouring in the stock and cranberries. Add the bread and toss until well blended. Let standing, stirring occasionally, until the stock is absorbed, 6-8 minutes.
• Add the vegetable mixture, chestnuts, sage, thyme and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and stir well to mix. Transfer to prepared baking dish and bake until browned and crispy, about 45-50 minutes.

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.