Prune and Chestnut Stuffing

• 1 pound prunes, pitted
• 1 cup port
• 2 pounds fresh chestnuts
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried) as dictated
• 1/2 to 1 cup chicken stock
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Soak the prunes for an hour in the port.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the chestnuts.
3. Make a slit in the top of each one with a sharp knife.
4. Put them in boiling water and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Remove them from the water a few at a time with a slotted spoon.
6. Wearing clean rubber gloves to protect your fingers, slip off the outer and inner skins while the chestnuts are still hot.
7. Place the chestnuts in a large bowl.
8. Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the onion, garlic, celery and thyme.
9. Cook without browning until the onion has softened.
10. Add the chestnuts and the prunes with the port that they have been soaking in along with the stock, and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
11. Add more stock if necessary.
12. Stir in the parsley, season with salt and pepper and stuff the mixture into the goose cavity.
13. Sew up the cavity and truss the goose.

prunes, port, chestnuts, unsalted butter, onion, garlic, stalks celery, thyme, chicken stock, parsley, salt

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/938 (may not work)