I like Sunday roasts so much that I have them pretty much any day of the week. Wednesday was roast night this week: a plump free-range chicken. It’s de rigeur in our household to have a side dish of stuffing with a bird. Often we’ll use wild chanterelles as a flavor accent in the stuffing, but this time around we made them the centerpiece. The beauty of this stuffing is that it’s super easy—aside from a bunch of chopping—and yet has that complex air of fancier concoctions. The toasted hazelnuts, with their satisfying crunch, go a long way in this respect. Also, if I’m making a stuffing that doesn’t include either sausage or dried fruit, I prefer my breadcrumbs finely crumbled, not big and chunky. But that’s just me. Do what you like.

1 med onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 med carrots (or 1 large), chopped
4 tbsp butter
4 slices sandwich bread, toasted and finely crumbled
2 cooked cups chopped and sauteed chanterelles
1/4 cup hazelnuts, oven toasted and chopped
chicken stock
salt & pepper, to taste

Sauté onions in butter for a minute or two, then add carrots and celery. Cook 5 minutes, then add chanterelles. Salt and pepper. When sauteed vegetables are soft, mix into bowl with breadcrumbs and hazelnuts. Add enough stock to thoroughly moisten. There should be enough stuffing to line a greased 8″ x 8″ baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered for another 15 minutes or until desired crispness.