Pear And Chestnut Stuffing Recipes

CHESTNUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, saute onion and fennel in 1/2 cup butter until tender. Stir in garlic; cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in chestnuts, pear, broth, dried fruit, seasonings and remaining butter; cook until butter is melted. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 3-4 minutes or until dried fruit is softened., Place in a large bowl. Stir in bread cubes. Whisk eggs and milk; drizzle over stuffing and toss to coat., Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. and a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until lightly browned.

ROASTED FREE-RANGE TURKEY WITH PEAR AND CHESTNUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. To make the stuffing, in a large skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add celery and onions; cook, stirring, until translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons thyme, and sage, parsley, chestnuts, and bread. Add stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until bread becomes moist. Stir in pears; remove from heat.
• Place remaining 1 stick butter, remaining 2 tablespoons thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt in food processor. Pulse until well combined; set aside.
• Wash turkey, and pat dry. Place, breast side up, on a roasting rack set in a large roasting pan. Season turkey cavity with remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Fill cavity loosely with stuffing. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Fold neck flap over; secure with skewers. Rub thyme-butter mixture all over turkey.
• Roast for 2 1/2 hours, basting often. Continue baking 30 to 45 minutes more, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 180 degrees. If turkey becomes too brown, tent it with aluminum foil. Let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

FENNEL, PEAR AND CHESTNUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch or other 3-quart baking dish. Melt 1 stick butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and fennel; cook, stirring, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Stir in the thyme and fennel seeds and cook 1 minute. Add the broth, dried pears and chestnuts. Bring to a simmer and cook until the pears begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Whisk the eggs, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Add the cubed bread, then pour the broth mixture on top. Stir to coat and evenly moisten the bread. Transfer to the baking dish and dot with the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Cover loosely with foil and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and continue baking until crisp and golden on top, about 20 more minutes.

PEAR-PECAN STUFFING

Steps:

• In a large deep skillet, saute 1 each chopped onion and carrot, 2 chopped celery stalks and 1 tablespoon each sage and thyme in 1 stick butter for 5 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper and add 2 diced Bosc pears, then saute 2 minutes.
• Pour in 1/4 cup bourbon and simmer 2 minutes, then add 2 1/2 to 3 cups chicken broth. Return to a simmer until step 5.
• In a large bowl, mix 2 eggs and 1/4 cup chopped parsley.
• Add to the bowl 16 cups toasted white bread cubes, 1 cup toasted pecans and the hot broth mixture.
• Gently toss the stuffing, then spread in a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Dot the top with butter or turkey pan drippings, cover and bake 30 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake until golden, 20 more minutes.

SAUSAGE PEAR STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crisped but not golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool. In a 14-inch straight-sided skillet (or 2 large skillets), melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, leeks, celery, fennel, and pears; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables and pears are softened and start to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in rosemary and sage.
• Meanwhile, cook sausage in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally and breaking into large crumbles, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Stir into vegetable mixture, then transfer to a large bowl. Add bread cubes and toss well. Drizzle stock over mixture, add eggs and parsley, and toss to combine well. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Use 10 cups stuffing to fill bird; place remainder in a buttered 8-inch-square baking dish. After turkey is out of oven, bake at 350 degrees until heated through and top is browned, 40 to 45 minutes.

PEAR, CHESTNUT AND SAGE DRESSING/STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Saute the onion, carrot and celery over low heat in butter until soft, about 8 minutes.
• Combine the pears, chestnuts, sausage, herbs and bread in a large bowl.
• Add the sauteed vegetables and butter to the bowl.
• Lightly toss.
• Add enough stock (a little at a time) to lightly moisten the bread without allowing it to become soggy.
• Handle the dressing gently when mixing.
• Season to taste with the salt and pepper, being especially generous with the black pepper.
• Spoon the dressing into a buttered 9x13 baking pan and cover with foil.
• Bake for about 45 minutes.
• Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the temperature of the dressing reaches 160 degrees.
• Serve immediately.

CHESTNUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Spread bread cubes in single layers on baking sheets. Let dry at room temperature, uncovered, overnight.
• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add chestnuts; cook until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain; let cool slightly. Peel and quarter chestnuts; set aside. Peeled chestnuts can be refrigerated in an airtight container 2 to 3 days.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery; cook, stirring, until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add sage; cook 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup stock; cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer onion mixture to a large bowl. Add remaining 4 1/2 cups stock, the chestnuts, bread, salt, and parsley; season with pepper. Toss to combine. If not stuffing turkey, transfer to a buttered 17-by-12-inch baking dish. Cover; bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake until hot and golden brown, 30 minutes more.