Chestnut Stuffing

• Ready In: 0 mins
• Yields: 1 batch

Ingredients

• 6  cups  homemade-style white bread, torn bite-size pieces of day-old
• 2  onions, chopped
• 4  stalks celery, chopped
• 3  tablespoons fresh sage, minced (1 Tbsp dried)
• 2  tablespoons fresh thyme, minced (2 tsp dried)
• 1  tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced (1 1/2 tsp dried)
• 1  tablespoon fresh savory, minced (1 tsp dried)
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter
• 1  lb fresh chestnuts, shelled
• 1⁄2 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

Directions

1. With a sharp knife cut an X on the round side of each chestnut. Spread the chestnuts in one layer in a jelly-roll pan, add 1/4 cup water, and bake the chestnuts in a preheated 450F oven for 10 minutes, or until the shells open.
2. Remove the chestnuts, a handful at a time, and shell and pee l them while they are still hot.
3. Reheat oven to 325F. In a shallow baking pan arrange the bread pieces in one layer, bake them in the oven, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden, and transfer them to a large bowl.
4. In a large skillet cook the onions, the celery, the sage, the thyme, the rosemary, and the savory in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the vegetable mixture to the bread pieces, tossing the mixture well, stir in the parsley and salt and pepper to taste, and let the stuffing cool.