Winter Chestnut and Mushroom Loaf
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250g/0.5 pound chestnuts
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3 tablespoons oil for frying
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3 onions, finely diced
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2 cloves garlic, finely diced
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550g/19.3 ozs mushrooms, roughly chopped but not too big
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1 cup/125g dried cranberries
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1/4 cup hazelnuts
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1 egg, beaten (you can omit this and replace it with 2-3 tablespoons milk if you want this to be egg free, see note*)
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4-5 sage fresh leaves
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2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
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1/2 cup chopped green spring onion
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1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs (optional, omit if you want to make this gluten free too)
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salt and pepper
Hint: choose chestnuts that are flat as they will be easier to score. Choose chestnuts that have shiny shells and are heavy for their weight. Do not pick ones that rattle or seem hollow or have little holes in them as this indicates insect activity.
Step 1 - Put a small saucepan of water on to boil. Score chestnuts on top being careful when using a knife on them as they can be slippery. Place the chestnuts in the boiling water and cook for 10-15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chestnuts and cool. Remove the hard outer skin. There is also a layer of inner, furry skin that may cling tightly to the yellow meaty interior. If this doesn't come off easily, then place back in water for another few minutes. Don't worry if you can't get all of the furry brown layer off. I couldn't be bothered so I decided to call it "rustic" and be done with it and it tasted just fine ;)
Step 2 - Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Line a loaf tin with baking parchment. Heat a saucepan on medium and add a tablespoon of oil and saute the onions until fragrant. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Set aside in a large bowl.
Step 3 - Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the chopped mushrooms and saute until cooked, stirring for about 10 minutes. Take out one quarter of the mushroom mix and add it to the onion mix. Put the remainder of the mushrooms into a food processor along with the cranberries, hazelnuts, egg, sage leaves, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, chestnuts and green spring onion and process until it comes together. Stir with the onion and mushroom mix until thoroughly combined.
Step 4 - Place in the prepared loaf tin and smooth down the top with a spatula. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Allow to cool and serve with a salad or mashed potato or celeriac puree. *If egg free, it is best to serve this lukewarm or cold as the egg helps to bind it together. It holds together quite well when it is cold but not so much when it is hot.