Mimi’s Chestnut Stuffing

Part of Thanksgiving dinners in many Nickel households since at least the late 1930s, the recipe is now prepared as a casserole. It had been stuffed inside the turkey and roasted.

Have ready:

1 1/2 lbs chestnuts, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
3/4 cup heavy cream or half and half
1/8 tsp. pepper or to taste
3/4 cup half-inch bread cubes
salt to taste

Peel the chestnuts, being sure to remove the thin papery inner shell. This is the difficult part. The least satisfactory method is to cut the chestnuts in half and microwave them for a minute or so. The peels come off easily, but the texture gets rubbery and the flavor is compromised. The best method is to boil the chestnuts for a few minutes, then make one cut into the nut and peel it. Keep unpeeled nuts in the hot water, removing a couple at a time as you peel them. It’s very tough on the fingers, but it’s worth it — and the fingers will heal in time.

Chop or grind the chestnuts (don’t turn them into a paste in a Cuisinart). Combine all ingredients and mix well. Bake in a buttered an oven-proof baking dish and bake, covered, for 90 minutes or so at around 350°F.

The recipe doubles or triples nicely. Feel free to adjust the relative amounts of ingredients, depending on preference. I’ve even added a bit of finely chopped onion, though I don’t think that was an improvement.