Chestnut Stuffing

My wife really loves stuffing.  So much that she is quite indignant about the fact that stuffing is pretty much served once a year.  She has a point.  There is pretty much no other food that we are told we can eat on exactly one day.  From the Friday after Thanksgiving one year to the Wednesday before the next Thanksgiving, we likely have consumed no stuffing.

And my stuffing-loving wife, the one who would love to add it to the regular weeknight rotation, has a favorite.  She asks for chestnut stuffing every year, and how can I deny her?  She only gets it one day a year, so it might as well be the best.

I can't remember a Thanksgiving without chestnut stuffing.  More than the meal itself, I always looked forward to the chestnut stuffing and mashed potato sandwich I would make later that evening.  

My dad claims to have picked chestnuts from the forest to make this dish, but my only choice is to pick them up in the produce section.  And chestnuts are no fun.  We like to sing about roasting them at Christmas, but have you truly every peeled a chestnut?  If that skin wasn't hiding such delicious meat underneath, it wouldn't be worth it.

But this stuffing is so lovely that it is absolutely worth it.  I make my hands raw pulling back that tough skin and pulling out the chestnut innards, but at least I only have to do it once a year.

Chestnut Stuffing
Serves 6-8

2 lbs chestnuts
1/2 c butter, melted
1/4 c cream
1 t salt
1 c bread crumbs
1/8 t black pepper
2 T chopped parsley
1 T grated onion

Cut an X into the skin of each chestnut, and place them in a large pot.  Cover with water and bring to a boil.  Continue to boil for about an hour, and then let chestnuts cool slightly in the water.  Working carefully, pull back the skin on each nut, and remove the chestnut.  Make sure you remove the inner membranes.

Chop the chestnuts into small pieces or give them a whirl in a food processor.  Add all other ingredients, and mix well.  Moisten with chestnut water if needed.

To cook, stuff inside a turkey before roasting, or place in a baking dish and heat at 350 degrees for about half an hour.