Chestnut Rice Stuffing

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped fine
• 1 celery rib, chopped fine
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
• 1 turkey liver, chopped fine
• 2 granny smith apples, peeled and grated coarse
• 3/4 cup pine nuts
• 3/4 cup slivered almond
• 3/4 cup sultana raisin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 lbs chestnuts, cooked, cleaned and chopped coarse (procedure follows)

Directions

1. 1

   Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, add onion and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Turn heat up to high and add ground beef. Cook until meat is browned well, stir in celery and cook 5 minutes longer. Stir in rice and turkey liver and cook 3 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients, season generously with salt and pepper.

2. 2

   Your bird is ready to be stuffed!

3. 3

   To prepare chestnuts: I do them in the pressure cooker. Rinse chestnuts and put them in the cooker. Add enough water to cover by a good 2 inches and throw in 2 tblsps salt (this will be drained off anyway- but gives the chestnuts better flavour). Boil for 5 minutes (after pressure starts). Turn off heat and leave on element 15 minutes longer. Drain.

4. 4

   When cool enough to handle, cut off'nib' with a small, sharp knife and peel. Get the papery stuff off too. This is not so easy- some chestnuts peel easer than others, but they are so good and this is so totally worth it!

5. 5

   If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can boil them in a regular pot for about 25 minutes.

6. 6

   You could also use the vacuum-packed, cleaned chestnuts available, but I don't know if they'd be as tasty. I would guess that just over 1 lb of cleaned, cooked chestnuts would equal a 2 lb, uncleaned weight.