Recipe: Stuffing Lombardy

Stuffing Lombardy
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking/Idlewild
From: Attenzione magazine, modified

I made this one last year and it was superb! I did make some changes. I used canned chestnuts, and dried pears instead of prunes. I felt the sausage would make it too heavy for an already rich meal, so I used some olives instead for the salty flavor.

1 lb fresh chestnuts, boiled, peeled, and coarsely chopped
2 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (note at end of recipe)
Approximately 4 oz thick bacon or pancetta, diced
2 onions, peeled, coarsely diced
2 apples, peeled, cut in rough dice
2 firm pears, peeled, cut in rough dice
16 plump dried prunes, cut in thirds
1/2 cup currants, plumped in warm water
1/2 cup pinenuts or coarse chopped walnuts
1 grated lemon rind
1/3 cup Italian parsley, minced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 cups fresh white bread crumbs
1 tablespoon fennel seed, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup Marsala wine
Approximately 1 cup water, stock, or white wine

Prepare chestnuts by cutting a slash in the flat side; cover with water and cook at a gentle boil for 15 to 30 min or just until tender. Peel shells and skins while still warm, and chop coarsely. Set aside. Cook sausage meat in a large skillet, breaking up coarsely with a wooden spoon. Cook over med high heat until meat loses its pink color and just begins to brown. Drain off excess fat and set aside. In a large skillet, cook bacon or pancetta, until it is pale golden brown. Add onions and saute over med high heat until softened. Add diced apples, pears, prunes, and currants to bacon-onion mixture. Cook together, partially covered, for about 10 min or until fresh fruits are tender. In a large bowl, combine the chestnuts, cooked sausage, onion-fruit mixture, nuts, lemon rind, parsley, cheese, bread crumbs, fennel, salt and pepper to taste, nutmeg to taste, beaten eggs, and Marsala. Add just enough water (stock or white wine) to bind the mixture. Let prepared mixture cool to room temperature before stuffing turkey.

Note: for vegetarian-style stuffing, omit sausage and bacon. Saute onion and fruit in 1 Tbsp butter, melted. Increase fruit (e.g., use 3 apples, 20 prunes, 1 cup raisins) and chestnuts (to 1 1/2 pounds).