Chestnut, Cranberry and Thyme Stuffing

Traditional Christmas stuffing, ideal for turkey

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion
400g chestnuts, shelled, finely chopped
115g cranberries
115g stale white breadcrumbs
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium egg

Instructions:
Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion and fry for 2-3 minutes or until soft.
Stir in the chestnuts, cranberries, breadcrumbs and thyme leaves. Season and
transfer to a bowl and add enough of the egg to bind.
Tips:
To make this mixture into a vegetarian loaf, spoon into a 450g loaf tin pressing in well. Bake for 35 minutes, 180°C  until golden and firm. Also use it as a filling to make vegetarian sausage rolls.

Almond, Roasted Garlic and Coriander Stuffing
Roasting the garlic mellows the flavour and makes it much sweeter, so it doesn't overpower the rest of the dish.

Ingredients:
6 fat cloves garlic, left whole with skins on
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
115g toasted blanched almonds, chopped
115g stale bread made into very coarse crumbs
1 pack fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium egg, beaten

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the unpeeled garlic in a small roasting tin or ovenproof dish and roast for 20 minutes, until very soft. Remove from oven and leave to cool.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for 2-3 minutes until soft.
Add the almonds, breadcrumbs and coriander and mix well. Season. Squeeze the garlic purée out of their skins and mash with the back of a spoon. Add to the stuffing with the egg and mix well to bind.

    
Sausage, Fennel and Orange Stuffing

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp fennel seeds
Grated rind and juice 1 small orange
1 pack  Sausagemeat
75g stale white breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, until soft.
Stir in the fennel seeds and cook for a further 30 seconds. Add the orange rind and juice and mix thoroughly with the sausagemeat, breadcrumbs and parsley. Season.
Tips:
Make sure you place the stuffing in the neck of the turkey and not inside the cavity