Ingredients:
- 600ml/1 pint water
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 225g/8oz pre-soaked dried apricots, snipped into small pieces
- 225g/9oz fresh white breadcrumbs
- 75g/3oz butter
- 225g/8oz frozen chestnuts, thawed, roughly chopped
- generous bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven 200C/400F/Gas 6. Butter a
shallow ovenproof dish. Measure the water into a pan; add the onion and
apricot bring to the boil.
Boil for about five minutes and drain. Put the breadcrumbs into a large
bowl. Melt the butter in a pan and pour half of this onto the breadcrumbs.
Add the remaining butter to a frying pan and fry the chestnuts over a high
heat until lightly browned.
Tip into the bowl with the breadcrumbs.Add the apricots, onion and parsley
to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Turn into a buttered, shallow ovenproof dish and bake in a preheated oven
for about 25-30 minutes until crisp and hot right through.
To freeze: cool and cover the dish with foil, freeze until Christmas Eve.
To thaw: take out the night before using and thaw overnight. Re-crispen in
a hot oven (as above) for about 10-15 minutes.