Thanksgiving Recipes with an Italian Flavor

TACCHINO CONDIMENTO

This turkey stuffing (dressing) is best cooked in a dish of its own, allowing the top layer to brown to an appealing crisp. If you want to use it as a stuffing in your turkey, omit the step of cooking the fruit in the meat mixture. The fruit will cook in the bird as it roasts.

Serves 8-10

1 lb. fresh chestnuts boiled/roasted, peeled and cut in half
2 lbs. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
4 thick slices of bacon or pancetta, finely diced
2 small onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 C. prunes, pitted, cut in half
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks
2 pears, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks
6 C. dry, good-quality Italian white or whole-wheat bread cut
   into 3/4 inch cubes, toasted in a 375° oven for
   about 15 min, until dry and lightly browned
10 sage leaves, finely chopped
1/4 C. unsalted butter
2 C. low-sodium chicken broth
S & P

1. Prepare the chestnuts by very carefully cutting an X on the hard bottom side of each nut. Place them in a pot of boiling water and cook about 10-15 minutes or just until tender. Remove from heat and using a slotted spoon, remove chestnuts from water 1 at a time to peel. Alternately, place the cut chestnuts on a baking sheet in a 400° oven and roast until tender and easy to peel, about 15-25 minutes. Peel outer shells and the thin brown underskin while still warm. Cut each chestnut in half, reserve.

2. In a large deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the sausage meat and the pancetta; cook over moderately high heat, breaking up the sausage meat until the meat loses its pink color and just begins to brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the onions, celery and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the apples, pears and prunes to the meat mixture. Cook partially covered for about 10 minutes or until the fresh fruits are almost tender. Stir in the chestnuts, sage and butter.

4. Scrape the meat and fruit mixture into a large bowl. Add the bread cubes and toss. Slowly stir in the chicken broth to thoroughly moisten the bread mixture without soaking it (there shouldn't be any excess broth in the bottom of the bowl).

5. Spoon the dressing into a buttered, shallow baking dish, cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes at 375°F. Uncover, drizzle with a little olive oil/melted butter, if desired, and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more.

To cook in turkey: Scrape the meat and uncooked fruit mixture into a bowl and add the bread cubes. Barely moisten the bread mixture and spoon into the turkey; cook turkey as preferred.

FUNGHI E CASTAGNE ALLA PANNA

This combination of chestnuts and mushrooms in a cream sauce makes an elegant addition to a Thanksgiving table.

Serves 8

1 1/2 lbs. fresh chestnuts prepared as in above recipe, leave whole
1 1/2 T. extra virgin olive oil
3 T. butter
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1 1/2 lbs. medium white or cremini mushrooms
S & P
1/4 C. dry Marsala
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme or marjoram
1/2 C. heavy or whipping cream
1 1/2 T. parsley, minced

1. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Trim off the very end of the mushroom stem where the soil collects; cut the mushrooms into quarters.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms lightly brown. Add the Marsala and the thyme, cook over higher heat until most of the liquid evaporates.

3. Add the chestnuts and the cream and bring to a simmer. Cook until the cream has slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with minced parsley.

CIPOLLINE AGRODOLCE

These sweet and sour onions are best when allowed to simmer slowly. This Venetian recipe is a great accompaniment to a variety of main dishes. As with many other slow cooked vegetable dishes it can be cooked several hours in advance and reheated over low heat.

3 lbs. small white boiling onions
4 T. (1/2 stick butter)
1/3 C. wine vinegar
1/4 C sugar
beef broth
S & P

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, drop in the onions, cook for 2 minutes. Drain and cool under running water. When cool enough to handle, slip off the outside skin, shave off the root and cut a small X into the root end to keep the onion from falling apart while cooking.

2. Put the onions into a large sauté pan that will hold them in one layer. Add the butter and enough broth to come up to about 1 in. up the side of the pan. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the onions begin to soften. If the broth begins to boil away add water to prevent the liquid from evaporating. Turn the onions periodically so that they do not stick.

3. When the onions are beginning to soften, add the vinegar, sugar, S & P. Turn the heat down to low and continue cooking on a low simmer. Turn the onions and add more water if liquid is needed. The onions are done when they are soft (tender when pierced with a knife) and have become a rich golden brown color. Serve warm with the pan juices.

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Easter 2009

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