F is for Feast (Pecan stuffing)

Stuffing is my favorite part of Christmas dinner.  Last year I was hoping to make a "proper" Chestnut stuffing to go with the rest of the dishes.  Unfortunately I could not find fresh chestnuts.  After some debate I decided to use pecans instead and the result was quite satisfactory: I liked the crunch pecans added to the dish.

PECAN STUFFING

(loosely based on Martha Stewart's recipe)

What you need

1/2 loaf good-quality white bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped into 1/4 inch dice

4 oz mushrooms, quartered

1 medium onion, cut into 1/4 inch diced
1/2 cup red wine (optional)

1 cup vegetable stock

2-3 tbsp (each) of chopped fresh herbs: thyme, sage, marjoram, parsley

salt and pepper

What to do

• Dry bread cubes overnight.

• Heat oil in a deep skillet.  Saute onions and celery until translucent.  Add mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Add herbs and mix well.  Add wine and pecans and cook for 5-7 minutes.  If not using wine, add broth instead.

• Add broth and raise heat to hight.  Bring broth to boil, remove from heat.

• Transfer the mix into a baking dish, add bread cubes, mix well and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.  I like to stir mu stuffing every 10-15 minutes to prevent bread from darkening too much.

• Serve sprinkled with chopped fresh parsley.