Ingredients

• 110g/4oz dried cranberries
• 55ml/2fl oz ruby port
• 45g/1½oz butter
• 1 small onion
• chopped
• 2 rashers unsmoked green back bacon
• cut into strips
• 2 garlic cloves
• chopped
• 450g/1lb sausage-meat
• 85g/3oz soft white or brown breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley
• chopped
• ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves
• chopped
• 150g/5½oz peeled
• cooked chestnuts
• roughly chopped
• 1 egg
• lightly beaten
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Soak the cranberries in the port for an hour.
• Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and bacon and cook gently until the onion is tender and the bacon is cooked.
• Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
• Remove from the heat to cool slightly
• then pour into a bowl.
• Add all of the remaining ingredients
• including the cranberries and port
• and mix well
• adding enough egg to bind to form a thick paste.
• Fry a small knob of the mixture to test for seasoning
• and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to the mixture according to taste. The stuffing is now ready to use
• to stuff turkey or chicken.