Pork and Chestnut Stuffing

1 ¼ pounds ground lean pork
2 cups finely chopped onions
½ bay leaf
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup dry white wine
Salt to taste, if desired
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 pounds cooked, shelled chestnuts, about 6 cups, cut in half or left whole (see note)
1 ½ cups chicken broth
½ cup finely chopped parsley
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons butter, approximately, plus butter for greasing the dish

Nutritional Information
- Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
  429 calories; 12 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 55 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 104 milligrams cholesterol; 274 milligrams sodium

About 8 cups

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Put the pork in a heavy skillet and cook for five minutes or until the pork loses its raw color, stirring and cutting down with a heavy metal spoon to break up the lumps. Add the onions and continue cooking, stirring, until the onions are wilted, about five minutes.
Chop together the half bay leaf and thyme and add this to the pork. Add the wine and cook until the wine is reduced. Add salt and pepper.
Add the chestnuts, chicken broth and parsley. Cook, stirring often, about five minutes. Stir in the egg and remove from the heat. Let cool.
Stuff and roast the turkey. Butter a baking dish and add any leftover stuffing. Dot the top with about four tablespoons of butter and place in the oven. Bake 30 minutes. Serve the separate stuffing with the carved turkey.

Imported shelled chestnuts bearing the Napoli labelare available in frozen form in Manhattan. They are sold at many grocery stores, including Shop Rite, Shopwell Food Emporiums, Balducci’s, 424 Avenue of the Americas (Ninth Street), and Todaro Brothers, 555 Second Avenue (30th Street). (See box on preparation of chestnuts.)

50 minutes