Chestnut Wild Mushroom Stuffed Three Bird Roast Recipes

CHESTNUT & WILD MUSHROOM STUFFED THREE-BIRD ROAST

Steps:

• For the stuffing, soak the porcini in 300ml boiling water and set aside for 20 mins, then drain, reserving the liquid, and finely chop. Heat the butter and fry the shallots for 2 mins, then add the mushrooms and cook for 3 mins more. Leave to cool. Mix with all the other stuffing ingredients and set aside.
• Place the chicken, breast-side down, on the board. Use a sharp boning knife to cut through the skin on the backbone along the length of the bird. Slowly run your knife down against one side of the ribcage, working down the length of the chicken and keeping close to the bone. As you cut, use the other hand to gently pull away the skin and expose the flesh. Pop out the thigh and wing joints, and cut through where they are attached to the main carcass. Continue cutting down the side of the bird, keeping the knife as close to the carcass as possible, until you reach the ridge of the breast bone, then repeat with the other side.
• To remove the carcass completely, snap away the wishbone where it joins at the neck end and carefully cut beneath the breast bone - this is where the skin is at its thinnest, so carefully cut away, then lift and cut away the carcass, as you don't want to nip or pierce the skin.
• Open up the chicken, skin-side down, and scrape clean or cut away the thigh bones and any other stray bits of bone or cartilage like the wishbone. Remove the 2 smaller fillets that run along the breast and set aside. Finally, use a larger chopping knife to cut off the feet and wing tips, but don't discard them.
• Repeat with the pheasant, but cut the legs off completely so you are left with just the 2 breasts attached by the skin. Cut the legs in half and keep. You should now have the semi-boned chicken, the pheasant breasts, the skinned duck breast and the stuffing. If all that butchery doesn't appeal, your butcher - with a bit of warning - should be able to prepare all the birds to this stage for you.
• To assemble the roast, open up the chicken, skin-side down. Put a third of the stuffing between 2 pieces of cling film and use a rolling pin to roll it out flat so that it just covers the surface area, then place on top of the chicken. Lay the duck breast in the middle of the stuffing, cover with a layer of stuffing, then add the pheasant breasts, skin-side down. Add a final layer of stuffing and lay the 2 chicken mini fillets on top.
• Tuck in the top and bottom edges of the chicken, and pull the two long edges together. Tuck one edge of it over the other so everything is rolled together and neatly encased, then flip over. Using butcher's string, tie the chicken at regular intervals around the width, then tie it once around the length to hold the stuffing in. Finally, tie the legs together. Can be prepared to this stage and chilled up to 1 day ahead.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Scatter the shallots, thyme and carrot into a roasting tin with the pheasant legs and chicken wing tips. Place the roast on the vegetables and rub all over with the softened butter. Pour the wine over, then season generously. Put the tin in the oven and cook for 1 hr 40 mins until beautifully browned all over, or until a digital cooking thermometer reads 68C (or above) when inserted in the middle. Remove, loosely cover with foil, and leave to rest somewhere warm for 30 mins.
• While the roast is resting, make the gravy. Place the tin on a low flame if flameproof, or tip the contents into a saucepan if not. Scatter over the flour and cook until light brown. Gradually pour in the mushroom soaking liquid, then the chicken stock. Simmer everything together until you have a smooth, thickened gravy, adding any resting juices from the roast. Season to taste, then strain the gravy through a sieve into another saucepan. When the roast has rested, remove the string, carefully carve into thick slices and sprinkle with thyme.

GAME HEN STUFFED WITH WILD RICE AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Bring the rice, a pinch of salt, and water to a boil in a saucepan with a lid. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer the wild rice until the kernels burst open, 45 to 50 minutes. Replenish the water if necessary. Fluff the rice with a fork, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to absorb water.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a baking dish large enough to hold the game hen.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, and cook and stir the mushrooms over medium heat until they are partially cooked and starting to give their juice, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir the mushrooms and butter into the cooked rice.
• Sprinkle the game hen, inside and out, with poultry seasoning, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Lightly stuff the Cornish hen with the wild rice mixture, and tie the legs together with cooking twine to hold in the stuffing. Slice 2 tablespoons of butter into small pats, and dot them around the bird.
• Bake the bird in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 40 to 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove the game hen from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.

CHESTNUT AND WILD MUSHROOM STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Using chestnut knife or sharp paring knife, make large X on flat side of each chestnut through shell but not meat. Soak chestnuts in bowl of warm water to cover by 2 inches for 15 minutes, then drain well. Arrange chestnuts in 1 layer in shallow baking pan, then roast in middle of oven until shells curl away at X mark, about 15 minutes. Wearing protective gloves, peel away shells from chestnuts while still hot. In large pot boiling water, blanch chestnuts 2 minutes, then drain. Using kitchen towel, rub chestnuts to remove skins. Coarsely chop and reserve. Leave oven on.
• Butter 9- by 13-inch casserole dish with 1 tablespoon butter.
• On foil-lined baking sheet, toast bread in 350°F oven, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Place in large mixing bowl and set aside. Leave oven on.
• In heavy, large skillet over moderately high heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring, until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Add another 2 tablespoons butter and heat until melted. Add onion and celery, and sauté until translucent, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Add mushroom mixture plus parsley and thyme to bread and gently stir to combine.
• In heavy, small pot over moderate heat bring chicken stock to gentle boil. Pour into bread mixture and gently toss to combine. Stir in egg, salt, and pepper. Transfer to casserole dish. The stuffing can be prepared up to this point and kept, covered and refrigerated, up to four hours. Bake until golden brown and heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

CHESTNUTS AND WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a skillet and slowly let the garlic get brown. Saute the Shiitake until soft (adding a spoonful of water if necessary so they don't burn). Add the chestnuts and saute just to reheat them and season well with salt and lots of ground black pepper.

WILD MUSHROOM SOUP WITH CHESTNUTS AND ROASTED FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the fennel halves, cut-side up, in a baking dish and drizzle with enough olive oil to come up half-way; season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until completely tender - the roasted fennel is the base of the soup, so it's important the flesh is soft enough to be cut with a spoon. Reserve until ready to serve.
• In a large pot, melt the butter over medium flame, add the onion and garlic, and saute for 4 minutes until translucent. Toss the thyme into the pan, along with the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mushrooms give off their liquid. Add the chestnuts and cook for a few more minutes until they have some nice color on them. Remove about 1 cup of the mixture to save as a garnish for the soup.
• Pour the stock into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring now and then. Remove from the heat and puree the soup until completely smooth, using a handheld or regular blender. Stir in the cream to make the soup even richer, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.
• To serve: Ladle the soup into soup bowls; garnish each serving with a bit of the reserved mushrooms and chestnuts, a roasted fennel half, and a sprinkle of chopped chives.

CHESTNUT, MUSHROOM AND RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• For convenience we cooked this outside the turkey in a buttered casserole at 350 F degrees for about 90 minutes. The timing isn't crucial. Or you may stuff the turkey as below.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 TB (30 ml) butter or margarine, onions, and celery and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add mushrooms and garlic, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until tender.
• Add sage, thyme, rosemary, and half each of the salt and pepper. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes or until fragrant.
• Pour in wine and chicken broth. Scrape brown bits from the pan. Simmer for 3 minutes.
• Add rice, chestnuts and parsley to skillet mixture and let cool completely.
• Toss the mixture with eggs until well combined.
• IF YOU WANT TO COOK THIS IN THE BIRD:.
• Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). Remove giblets and neck from turkey; rinse inside and out with cold water and pat dry. Season the turkey (including the cavities) with the remaining salt and pepper.
• Stuff both cavities with the rice mixture, packing lightly. Truss the legs closed with kitchen twine. Place turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan. Rub skin with remaining butter. Roast turkey for 30 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 F (180 C).
• Roast, basting with pan juices, every 30 minutes for about 3 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 180 F (85 C) when inserted into the inner thigh.
• Rest turkey for 20 minutes; reserve pan juices to make gravy. Transfer turkey to a platter, carve and serve with stuffing on the side.

WILD MUSHROOMS WITH CHESTNUTS AND THYME

Steps:

• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender and golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and stir until melted. Add mushrooms; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until tender and brown, about 10 minutes. Add thyme and stir 1 minute. Add Madeira and simmer until almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Add chestnuts and whipping cream and simmer until cream thickens and coats mushroom mixture, about 1 minute. Season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with chives.

ROAST CHICKEN STUFFED WITH CHESTNUTS AND DRIED MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• 1. Soak dried mushrooms. Shell chestnuts. 2. Wipe chicken with a damp cloth. Then dry thoroughly with paper toweling or hang up to dry in a cool, airy place 1 to 2 hours. 3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mince onion, mushrooms and chestnuts then mix well with soy sauce, salt and pepper. Stuff chicken with mixture then sew up securely or skewer. 4. Combine sherry with remaining soy sauce and rub over bird. Rub in oil. Sprinkle lightly with remaining salt and pepper then truss. 5. Place on a rack over a drip pan containing several inches of water. Roast 20 minutes, basting frequently with drippings. 6. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and roast 40 minutes more, basting frequently. (Replenish water in drip pan as it evaporates.) VARIATION: * For the chicken, substitute turkey. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

WILD MUSHROOMS WITH CHESTNUTS AND THYME

Steps:

• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add shallots and sauté until tender and golden, about 6 minutes.
• Add garlic and stir 30 seconds.
• Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and stir until melted.
• Add mushrooms; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Sauté until tender and brown, about 10 minutes.
• Add thyme and stir 1 minute.
• Add Madeira and simmer until almost evaporated, about 1 minute.
• Add chestnuts and whipping cream and simmer until cream thickens and coats mushroom mixture, about 1 minute.
• Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with chives.