Chestnut, Onion And Cornbread Stuffing

Total Time: 2 hrs 5 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 1/2 loaves cornbread (i use my perfect cornbread perfect cornbread)
• 2 medium red onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 6 shallots, cut lengthwise into 6 ths
• 5 leeks, and pale green parts only halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 cup flat leaf parsley, packed, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaf, chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 lb whole chestnuts, vacuum-packed or canned
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 325°f prepare cornbread ahead of time from perfect cornbread perfect cornbread, or your own.
• 2 cut cornbread into 1/2" cubes.
• 3 in 2 large shallow baking pans, bake in the middle of the oven until just dry, about 20 minutes.
• 4 using only and pale green parts of the leeks, halve them lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2" thick pieces.
• 5 in a large heavy skillet cook red onions, shallots, leeks, celery and herbs with salt and pepper to taste, in butter over moderate heat; stirring, until onion mixture is golden brown and softened-- about 25 minutes.
• 6 if using canned chestnuts, rinse and drain.
• 7 in a saucepan simmer vacuum-packed or canned chestnuts in 2 cups of chicken broth for 15 minutes.
• 8 in a large bowl, toss together bread, onions, chestnut mixture and remaining 1 1/2 cups of broth, with salt and pepper to taste, and let cool completely.
• 9 (stuffing may be made ahead up to 1 day before and chilled, covered-- bring stuffing to room temperature before proceeding).
• 10 to cook all or part of stuffing outside of poultry: in a shallow baking dish bake stuffing in preheated 325f oven 45 minutes.
• 11 for moist stuffing, bake covered entire time; for less moist stuffing with a slightly crisp top, uncover halfway through baking time.
• 12 enjoy!