Golden Chestnut Stuffing with Apricots and Thyme

This stuffing takes a different route from the crumbly sort most of us grew up with. Instead of drying the bread out and tossing it with butter, you soak the torn wholemeal in boiling water with the thyme and pepper, then work it with a fork until it turns into a thick, sticky porridge. It sounds odd, but it is the reason the finished dish holds together in a neat slice rather than falling apart on the plate. Wholemeal is a good choice here because its bran and grain give the mixture some bite, so the stuffing never tastes like wet sponge.

Chestnuts deserve a little respect. Vacuum-packed ones are already cooked, so you are really just warming them through and giving them a chance to soften into the bread. Chestnuts are one of the few nuts that are mostly starch rather than fat, which is why they go so well with grains and why they feel floury and sweet rather than rich. Break a few into rough pieces and leave a few whole, as the recipe suggests. You get little soft clumps in one bite and a neat chestnut in the next.

A cooking tip from my own kitchen: give the onions the full five minutes in the pan, and let them go a shade past soft. That light browning adds a savoury depth that the bread on its own can't provide. If the mixture looks a little too loose after you add the apricots, leave it for a few minutes, since the bread keeps drinking up moisture as it sits.

This is a stuffing that reheats well. Keep any leftovers in a covered dish in the fridge for a couple of days, then warm a slice in a dry frying pan until the edges crisp. It also makes a fine filling for a mushroom or a roasted squash. If you want something lighter next to it, a bowl of Herbed Butterbean Stuffed Mushroom Caps makes a good companion on the same table, and a simple green salad with a sharp dressing cuts through the sweetness of the apricots nicely.

For a bigger spread, serve it alongside Spinach Onion Bhajis with Fresh Coriander Dip for guests who like something golden and crisp to nibble before the main course. If you are feeding a crowd and want a hearty vegetarian main as well, Hearty Tomato Bean and Lentil Simmer pairs well with it.