Prune and chestnut turkey stuffing

ake the breadcrumbs by cutting off the crusts from a loaf of day-old white bread, and whizzing the bread in a food processor. You can spice up the stuffing by using chorizo sausages instead of chunky pork sausages if you like, or drop the sausage meat altogether, for a lighter stuffing.

Feeds 8 Takes 30 mins

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 6 rashers bacon, rindless
• 200 g vacuum-packed or canned cooked, peeled whole chestnuts
• 200 g pitted soft prunes
• 450 g fresh, soft breadcrumbs
• Finely grated rind of one lemon
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp finely chopped sage
• 3 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• Half tsp grated nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 400 g good, chunky pork sausages

1. Melt the butter in a frypan, add the onion and bacon and cook until the onion is pale and soft. Allow to cool.
   
   
2. Crumble and mash the chestnuts, and chop the prunes. Combine the cooled mixture with the chestnuts, prunes, bread crumbs, lemon rind, thyme, sage, parsley, salt and pepper, nutmeg and beaten eggs.
   
   
3. Cut the sausages in half and add the meat to the pan, discarding the casings. Mix everything together with your hands.
   
   
4. Reserve around one-third of the stuffing for the turkey breast. You can also form some of the stuffing into small balls and bake them alongside the turkey as well, if you like.
   
   
5. Spoon the rest into a buttered ovenproof dish and bake for 45 minutes until golden, covering with foil if it browns too quickly