Apple Chestnut Stuffing
This stuffing is so delicious that usually we serve it as a side dish and only stuff ourselves with it. However, it is also excellent stuffed into squash halves and baked.
Ingredients
20 – 30 chestnuts
4 tbl. butter
½ tsp. asafetida powder*
1 onion, finely chopped
2 medium to large shiitake mushrooms, chopped
2 celery stalks with leaves, finely chopped
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 scant tsp tarragon
½ cup parsley (or cilantro in a pinch), minced
4 cups of bread crumbs from homemade bread
¼ cup cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
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Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cut chestnuts nearly in half and add to the boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, take a few chestnuts out of the hot water at a time and peel off the shell and inner membrane.
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While peeling the chestnuts, have a fresh pot of water coming to a boil. When all of the chestnuts are peeled, pour them into the boiling water and let them boil for another 5 minutes. Pour into colander, set aside and let cool.
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In a large frying pan, melt the butter. Add the asafetida powder and let sizzle for a minute or two. Add onions, mushrooms and tarragon. Sauté for 5 or 10 minutes until it all starts to brown and become fragrant.
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Meanwhile, slice the now cool chestnuts into a bowl to add later on.
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Add the chopped celery to the frying pan and continue to sauté until the celery is soft.
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Add parsley and apples. Sauté several minutes until apples soften and are covered with butter and herbs.
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Add the bread crumbs. Mix altogether thoroughly and heat through. Add sliced chestnuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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The stuffing should be somewhat moist. Add up to a ¼ cup or so of cream, a bit a time. Stir in each addition of cream and wait for it to be absorbed until stuffing has the texture you want.
To bake into a squash
Split 4 acorn squash and clean out the halves. Salt and pepper the insides and add dots of butter. Heap in stuffing and set halves into a pan with a 1/2" of water in the bottom. Cover with foil and bake at 350° until squash are fork soft, about 45 minutes. If you bake these ahead and want to reheat them, uncover the pan and reheat.
* Asafetida is a dried, powdered gum resin that adds a garlic-y flavor to cooking and also serves as a digestive aid. It is commonly used in all types of Indian cooking and can be found in small plastic bottles at Indian, Middle Eastern and international markets.
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