Sticky Rice And Chestnut Dressing Recipes

STICKY RICE STUFFING (A CHINESE-INSPIRED THANKSGIVING RECIPE)

Steps:

• Add rice and water to cover into a large bowl. Use your fingers to gently rinse the rice in a swirling motion, then drain the water. Add water to cover the rice with 1" (2 cm) of water. Soak at room temperature overnight. Drain thoroughly before cooking.
• Heat 1 cup of water in the microwave until hot. Add the dried shiitake mushrooms. Soak until the mushrooms turn soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Once done, squeeze the liquid out of the mushrooms into the soaking water. Slice the mushrooms thinly. Reserve the soaking water for cooking.
• Cut the rest of the ingredients while rehydrating the mushrooms.
• Heat the butter in a 4-quart dutch oven (or tight-sealing heavy pot) over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the shallot and shiitake mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions turn golden and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add the Chinese sausage. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
• Pour in the Shaoxing wine. Use your spatula to release any brown bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine has evaporated completely.
• Add the rice. Stir to mix the rice evenly with the other ingredients. Add the chicken stock and salt. Stir to mix well.
• Add the water chestnuts. Pour in the soy sauce and dark soy sauce. Gently stir a few times to mix the soy sauce.
• Cook until the liquid comes to a low simmer. Turn to very low heat and cover the dutch oven. Steam until the rice is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover the pan and taste the rice at the 20-minute mark. If the rice still has a bit of a raw texture, let it cook for another 5 minutes.
• Once done, uncover the pan and stir with a rice paddle or spatula to fluff the rice. Garnish the stuffing with sliced green onions.
• Serve hot as a side.
• This dish can be cooked 1 to 2 days in advance. Reheat it in the same dutch oven in a 350 ℉ (176 ℃) oven with the lid on until warm. You can reheat it in the microwave, too. To heat it evenly, be sure to stir the rice several times over the course of reheating.
• It's very likely that the sticky rice will stick to the bottom of the pot once you're done cooking. This is due to the starchy texture and the added soy sauce. To clean up the pot, add 2" (5 cm) of water to the pot and boil for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sticky rice can be lifted easily with a wooden spatula. Scrape off any stuck residue and rinse the pan using detergent.

WILD RICE CHESTNUT STUFFING

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups water, rice and bouillon to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes or until rice is tender., Meanwhile, with a small sharp knife, score an "X" on the flat side of each chestnut, being careful not to cut through the nutmeat. In a Dutch oven, bring the remaining water to a boil. Add chestnuts. Return to a boil; cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Drain and return chestnuts to the pan; cover and keep warm. With a kitchen towel or pot holder, remove one or two chestnuts at a time. Peel and discard outer shell and inner skin. Coarsely chop nutmeats. , Drain the wild rice. In a large skillet, saute celery and onion in butter until tender. Gently stir in the sage, salt, thyme, rice and nuts. Spoon into a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 325° for 40-50 minutes or until heated through.

CHESTNUT DRESSING

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute celery and onion in butter until tender. Add chestnuts and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add bread cubes and stir to coat., Transfer to an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

STICKY RICE STUFFING WITH CHINESE SAUSAGE AND SHIITAKES

Steps:

• Rinse the rice in a colander, and then transfer to a medium bowl. Cover with 1 inch of water and let soak at room temperature overnight. Drain thoroughly.
• Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast, stirring, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside, reserving skillet.
• Return skillet to medium heat and add oil. When oil is hot, add the shallots and mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the shallots are golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until the sausages curl slightly, 1 minute more. Add the sherry, bring to a boil, and cook until syrupy, about 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, chestnuts, rice, and toasted pine nuts and toss until the rice kernels are evenly coated. Stir in the broth or water and season with salt. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the rice is cooked, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Garnish rice "stuffing" with sliced scallions before serving.

CHESTNUT RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• 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.
• Your bird is ready to be stuffed!
• 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.
• 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!
• If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can boil them in a regular pot for about 25 minutes.
• 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.

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.

STICKY RICE AND CHESTNUT DRESSING

Steps:

• Put the rice in a bowl and add water to cover by 1 inch. Let stand for at least 2 hours (or even overnight).
• To prepare the chestnuts, place them in a small saucepan in which they will fit in a single layer. Add the butter, cilantro, and broth to cover by 1/2 inch. Bring to a simmer, cover partially, and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, or until the nuts are tender yet firm and still hold their shape. Do not allow the nuts to boil, or they will disintegrate. When they are ready, some pieces will be intact and others will have broken apart. Set aside.
• Dump the rice into a colander and rinse under cold running water. Shake the colander to expel extra water and then return the rice to the bowl. Toss with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.
• Fill the steamer pan halfway with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. If you are concerned about cleanup and/or the rice falling through the holes of the steamer tray, line the tray with a piece of parchment paper or banana leaf, leaving a few holes uncovered for heat circulation. Pour the rice into the tray, keeping it 1 inch away from the edge where condensation will collect.
• Place the tray in the steamer, cover, and steam the rice for 20 minutes, or until the grains are shiny, tender, and slightly chewy. To ensure even cooking, give the rice a big stir with chopsticks or a spatula 2 or 3 times during steaming. Take care when lifting the lid that you don't allow any condensation to drip onto the rice and that you are not burned by the steam. At the end of each stirring, gather the grains back into a mound in the center, leaving a 1-inch border between the rice and the edge of the steamer tray. When the rice is done, turn off the heat and leave the rice in the steamer while you ready the other ingredients.
• In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes, or until fragrant and soft. Add the liver and sauté for less than 1 minute, or just until cooked through. Add the pork, pressing and poking it to break it up into small pieces, and cook and stir for about 2 minutes, or until half done. Add the mushrooms, pepper, thyme, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and continue to cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through. Remove from the heat.
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (or baking dish of similar size) with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Transfer the pork mixture and any juices to a large bowl and add the rice and Cognac. Use a rubber spatula or 2 spoons to combine the ingredients well, breaking apart any large clumps of rice. Discard the cilantro sprigs from the chestnuts and drain the chestnuts, reserving the liquid for a sauce or a soup if desired. Add the chestnuts to the rice mixture along with the chopped cilantro and mix together gently. Taste and adjust with more salt, if necessary. (The dressing may be prepared to this point up to 1 day in advance. Cover partially to prevent drying and let cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before baking.) Transfer the dressing to the prepared baking dish. Cut the remaining 1 tablespoon butter into bits and use to dot the top evenly. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake the dressing for 35 to 40 minutes, or until heated through and the bottom browns. Although the top will not brown, some grains at the edge will brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
• Chestnuts are in season in the late fall and early winter. Select shiny nuts that feel heavy for their size and store them in a cool, dry place. Be sure to use them while they still feel full and heavy. Or, freeze them unshelled for up to a year and thaw in the refrigerator before using.
• To shell and peel chestnuts, first cut a cross on the flat side of each nut with a sharp paring knife. To do this, place the nuts on a dish towel so they don't roll away. Preheat a toaster oven or a regular oven to 400°F and place the nuts, cut side up, directly on the rack (use the middle rack of a regular oven) or in a shallow pan. Bake them for about 5 minutes in a toaster oven or 10 to 15 minutes in a regular oven, or until the chestnuts feel hot and the cut on each shell opens and curls.
• Carefully transfer the hot nuts to a dish towel, wrap them up, and squeeze the bundle to crack their shells. Working with 1 nut at a time and using the paring knife, remove the smooth outer shell and then peel, scrape, and/or cut off the papery inner brown skin. Use the knife tip to pry out skin bits stuck in the crevices. It is okay if a nut breaks during peeling. As you work, keep the unpeeled nuts warm in the dish towel, so the shells remain pliable and easier to remove. You can shell and peel chestnuts up to 3 days in advance of using and keep them tightly covered in the refrigerator, or you can freeze them for up to 6 months.