Unique turkey stuffing with local twist

Long time readers may recall that this recipe had its origins in the classic chestnut stuffing for the bird – but chestnuts aren't available here (unless brought in in diplomatic bags?). I've had so many compliments on my chataigne stuffing – even been told by a discerning gourmet guest that it's better than chestnut.

So, with plenty of notice to find chataigne and willing helpers to peel and help grate the nuts, you, too, can lap up the compliments on your unique stuffing on December 25.

Here's how to do it and what to do it with …

2 ozs bacon

4 ozs fresh white breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon minced, preferably fresh parsley

1 oz butter, melted

The finely grated rind (peel) of one large lemon or yellow lime

14-16 ozs chataigne

Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg, beaten

1 chicken stock cube

Approx 1-pint (16 -20 fl ozs) water

METHOD

First – make a chataigne pur?e by placing the chataigne in a pan of boiling water and boiling the nuts for three to five minutes.

Using a slotted spoon and lifting out only one or two nuts at a time (because if you let them get cool it's Mission Impossible to peel them), peel off the hard, outer coat. As each chataigne nut is peeled pop it into another pan with about a pint of water and the chicken stock cube.

When all the nuts are peeled heat the pan to simmering point and simmer the chataigne gently for about 45 minutes. Check whether the nuts are soft enough to make a puree in your food processor, mincer, or blender by taking one out of the pan and rubbing it through a sieve. If it won't go through, put it back and simmer the nuts for another five minutes and test again. Repeat this test as necessary. It's hard to say how long it takes to soften the nuts. Some years I find they'll soften in a half hour, other years it takes more than an hour of simmering to get them soft enough to pur?e.

Drain the nuts and discard the water.

If you’d really like to make the silkiest, smoothest pur?e the classic, gourmet way – as I did when I lapped up compliments for my stuffing – rub all the nuts through a sieve (keen-eyed cooks and chefs will, by this time, realise this recipe is an adaptation of a recipe for chestnut stuffing - but chataigne tastes even better, I assure you).

Once you’ve made the chataigne pur?e, the rest is easy. Chop or cut up the bacon into small pieces with kitchen scissors, put it in the frying pan (skillet for US readers) and fry it very gently in its own fat for about three to five minutes by which time it should be nice and crisp.

Add the chataigne pur?e, breadcrumbs, parsley, butter, lime rind, salt and pepper to the bacon and bacon fat.

Bind the mixture together with the beaten egg (add a little, but only a very little milk to the mixture if it looks and feels too dry).

Mix well and use to stuff the neck end of the turkey.