Paxo Chestnut & Cranberry - Makes 12

In Britain, Paxo is not so much a brand of stuffing as the word for it. Sage and onion does the Sunday roasts all year, and chestnut and cranberry comes out when the turkey does, sitting on the plate next to the pigs in blankets like it has always been there.

Christmas in Canada can get very close to the one you remember. Then someone takes a forkful of stuffing and it is not quite right. That one small thing is why people come looking for the box they grew up with.

It is a dried mix in a box that makes 12, so it sits happily in the cupboard until you need it. Add boiling water, let it rest, then roll it into balls, press it into a dish, or pack it into the bird. Any left over belongs in a Boxing Day sandwich with cold turkey and a bit of cranberry sauce.

Paxo is best known for its classic Sage and Onion, the one that does the rest of the year's roasts. At Christmas, the chestnut and cranberry usually lands in the basket alongside gravy, bread sauce and a pudding for afterwards.