Ingredients

• 2 ounces butter
• 6 pink shallots, peeled & roughly chopped
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves stripped
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves stripped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh celery top
• 6 ounces stale bread, cut into cubes
• 2 cooking apples, cored & chopped into cubes
• 4 ounces vacuum packed chestnuts, chopped
• 4 ounces dried cranberries
• 1 large orange, zest of
• 1 lb good quality pork sausage
• salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a large pan and gently fry the chopped shallots, rosemary & thyme leaves together for about 10 minutes or until shallots are soft & golden.

2. Tip them into a large bowl & add the celery tops, bread, apples, chestnuts, cranberries & orange zest.

3. Divide the sausage meat into small balls the size of walnuts.

4. Fry in the juices from the shallots in the same pan until the pieces are golden & well cooked.

5. Add to the bowl with the other ingredients.

6. Stir to mix well, mashing all the ingredients together with the back of a fork.

7. Season with salt & black pepper.

8. Use the stuffing to stuff the neck end of a large chicken or turkey.

9. Put the remaining stuffing into a well greased ovenproof dish & cover with buttered foil.

10. Bake in a pre-heated oven 180C/360F or Gas mark 4 for about 45 minutes or until well cooked through.

11. You can remove the foil for the last 15 minutes to brown the top if you wish.

12. Makes enough stuffing to stuff a 12-14 lb turkey.