Chestnut Stuffing (Pound Italian chestnuts cup)

A short, rich chestnut dressing built on a purée rather than cubed bread. The proportions are loose by design, and the seasoning is left almost entirely to taste.

• Blanching means peelingScore an X in the flat side of each nut, then either boil or roast briefly so both the hard shell and the furry inner skin come away. That inner pellicle is bitter and will not soften; get it all off while the nuts are hot, since it clings once they cool.
• Italian chestnutsThe recipe means large sweet European chestnuts, then commonly imported in autumn. Any fresh sweet chestnut works. A 15-oz jar or vacuum pack of cooked peeled chestnuts substitutes for the pound of nuts in the shell, which yields roughly 10-12 oz peeled.
• ShorteningThe word covered solid cooking fats generally: lard or hydrogenated vegetable fat most often, sometimes butter. Butter gives the best flavour here; melt it before mixing so it distributes through the purㅅe.
• Ricer or food millA ricer gives a dry, fluffy texture. A food processor turns cooked chestnuts to paste, which makes the stuffing dense and gluey. Mash by hand if no ricer is at hand.
• Poultry seasoningA commercial blend, typically sage with thyme, marjoram and savoury, long sold ready-mixed and still on shelves. 1 1/2 teaspoons is assertive against 1 cup of crumbs; taste before adding the salt and cayenne.
• Bread crumbsThe recipe does not specify; dry crumbs are the likelier reading for a period stuffing, though fresh will also work. If your mixture is stiff, loosen it with a few tablespoons of stock or milk before it goes into the bird.
• YieldAbout 4 cups, enough for a 5-6 lb roasting chicken, or as one of two stuffings in a larger bird. Scale up for a 14 lb turkey.
• Cooking itStuffing packed inside poultry must reach 165F at the centre; check with a thermometer rather than by the bird's timing alone. Baked separately in a buttered dish, 350F for 30-35 minutes browns the top nicely.