Chestnut stuffing is a savory side dish generally used to stuff poultry, such as turkey or goose. For many people, the chestnut’s starchy-but-sweet flavor is a welcome addition to holiday meals. Similar to other stuffing recipes, breadcrumbs are the primary ingredient, and the other ingredients include vegetables, herbs and, of course, chestnuts. Chopped meats and dried fruit also can be added for extra flavor or personal taste.
Trees that produce edible chestnuts belong to the Castanea family, which also includes oak and beech trees. The chestnut species might have come from ancient Asia Minor, but in modern times, chestnuts are harvested from European, Asiatic and American varieties, all of which produce edible nuts. Horse chestnuts might share the name, but they are from another type of tree and are not edible.
Chestnuts have been used as a food for centuries. They are the least oily of all nuts and are easy to digest. They are, however, high in starch and are often considered more vegetable than nut. In some cultures, they are treated just like potatoes, are used as a thickener for stews and soups or are ground into a flour and used for baked goods. The nuts from chestnut trees can be eaten raw, but they leave an astringent aftertaste.
Although there are many ways to eat these nuts, using them for chestnut stuffing is a common culinary practice. At certain times of the years, generally around the winter holiday season, raw chestnuts can be found in stores. When one is purchasing chestnuts, they should be heavy, plump and firm to the touch.
Before they can be used for chestnut stuffing, they must be cooked. Peeling the nut can be a laborious process, which is why many people prefer to buy canned varieties of chestnuts. For the true gourmet, however, only fresh nuts can be used in chestnut stuffing. The two most common ways to prepare chestnuts are roasting and boiling. A cross shape is cut into the flat side of the nut to prevent it from exploding as it heats up and to make it easier to peel.
Traditional chestnut stuffing recipes call for the chestnut to be chopped or minced and added to the rest of the dressing ingredients, but some cooks prefer to leave the chestnuts whole for extra crunchiness. Many recipes call for the chestnut to be boiled until soft, then mashed and added to the stuffing ingredients. Whatever the method used, chestnuts can add a sweet and nutty taste to ordinary stuffing recipes.
