Chestnut, Apple and Pork Belly Stuffing

Chestnut, Apple and Pork Belly Stuffing

This stuffing recipe is inspired by Elizabeth David.

500 g chestnuts

2 large cooking apples

½ pint of milk

I small onion

Butter

500 g minced pork belly

salt and pepper

bunch of parsley

1 free-range egg, whisked

Heat the oven to 180 C.

Make a crosswise incision across the rounded part of the chestnut and roast for 10-15 minutes. Take out a few chestnuts at a time and shell them while they’re still hot. I find the easiest way to do this is to cut them in half and use a teaspoon to scoop out the soft nut.  Stew them in the milk with ¼ pint of water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Flatten the minced pork belly to a disc shape, wrap in clingfilm and cook for 10 minutes in water. Drain and remove from the clingfilm.

Stew the apples in a dash of water until they reduce to a puree.

Mix together the chestnuts, pork belly, apple, onion, parsley and seasoning. Bind together with the egg.

Stuff the turkey with the pork mixture and roll any remaining stuffing into balls; place these around the turkey on the baking tray.