Description
From Bread Toast Crumbs Note: Cooked and peeled chestnuts can be found online or in specialty stores. Or you can cook them yourself: With a sharp knife, cut an X on both sides of each chestnut. Bring a small saucepan of water, filled halfway, to a boil over high heat. Add 8 ounces of chestnuts, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, or until soft. Remove the pan from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove a few chestnuts at a time and run them under cold water. Peel and place the chestnuts in a small bowl. You may need to use a paring knife to remove the skin. You should have about 1 cup.
Ingredients
- 1 pound peasant bread, crusts removed, torn into 1- to 2-inch pieces (8 to 10 cups)
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
- 2 cups sliced onions (1 to 2 onions)
- 8 ounces kale, rough stems discarded, leaves sliced into ½-inch ribbons
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup cooked chestnuts (optional) (see Note above)
- 1½ cups homemade chicken stock or store-bought
- 1 egg
- Softened unsalted butter, for greasing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, toss the bread with ¼ cup of the oil; the bread will feel saturated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread onto a sheet pan in a single layer, reserving the bowl. Transfer to the oven and toast for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden. Set aside to cool briefly.
- Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, melt the butter with the remaining ¼ cup oil over medium heat. Add the onions, season with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, or until soft and beginning to color.
- Place the kale in the reserved bowl and, when the onions have finished cooking, scrape them into the bowl over the kale. Add the dried cranberries, chestnuts, and bread, and toss. Add 1 cup of the chicken stock, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper, and toss. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding another ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste as needed. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ½ cup chicken stock with the egg and add to the bowl. Toss to combine.
- Grease a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with the softened butter and spread the mixture into it. Cover the pan with foil, transfer it to the oven, and bake the stuffing for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan and bake the stuffing for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the bread is golden and the kale is beginning to crisp. Remove the pan from the oven and let the stuffing stand for 10 minutes before serving it.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes