Serves: 6-8 - Time:
This is one of the stuffings I make every year to go with the Christmas turkey. There are meaty stuffings too but this vegetarian option keeps everything in balance. Its intense savouriness can stand up to all the other strong flavours of the Christmas feast. Everything can be chopped in a food processor which makes it speedy to prepare, although the mushrooms need to be cooked for about 25 minutes to intensify their flavour. I make it in advance and freeze it in a foil container to be cooked on the day. If you prefer you can use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
- 25g dried porcini
- 3-4 small echalion (banana) shallots, peeled
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 825g chestnut mushrooms, brushed clean
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
- 75g fresh white breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, beaten
Method
- Soak the porcini in boiling water for at least 6-8 hours or preferably overnight.
- Put the shallots and garlic cloves in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan and add the chopped shallots and garlic with a pinch of salt. Cook over a moderate heat, stirring, for 10 minutes.
- Rinse out the bowl of the food processor and tip in the mushrooms. Pulse until finely chopped. Add to the shallots along with the thyme leaves. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes. Lift the soaked porcini out of the liquor (keep two tablespoons of the liquor aside) and finely chop. Stir the chopped porcini and the reserved liquor into the mushrooms and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until the mushrooms are dark and reduced. Take off the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs and pine nuts. Leave to cool then stir in the egg.
- Spoon into a small roasting tin or foil container (to save on washing up) and either cook with the turkey for the last 25 minutes or heat the oven to 200˚, fan oven 180˚, mark 6 and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
