Chestnuts

[chadspad]

Have just got some chestnuts - I usually cook them under the grill but mine isnt connected yet - can I bake them in the oven? What sort of temperature and for how long? Thanks

[funkypixie]

Ooooh Roast Chestnuts!

Score a cross in the outer skin and bake in a medium oven (gm 4/5?) for about 30-40 mins.

My mouth is watering at the thought of them...

Anna x

[Muddypause]

I love chestnuts, raw or cooked. Peeling the inner skin off a raw chestnut can be a chore, but uncooked they are deliciously sweet.

You can also put them in a pan over a low heat (best to use an old pan) - takes a bit longer than the grill. Or you can boil them for a few minutes. Or put them on a shovel over an open fire.

[Wombat]

Tried the shovel over the open fire..................it buggered the shovel! In a pan of dry sand works too - more even heat distribution.

Nev

[chadspad]

Thanks all! If I used the pan method, would I just be dry cooking them? And do they still explode like on the grill? If theyre boiled in water they wont have that lovely cooked outside to them so wont try that method. Would love to have an open fire to do them like that - still just happy to be eating chestnuts

[Muddypause]

Thanks all! If I used the pan method, would I just be dry cooking them?

Pretty much. Just as you would under the grill, or on a shovel over the fire, really.

They can explode this way, too, but scewering them first helps to stop it.

Nev, you should stop buying cheap shovels. Or turn the heat down on the open fire first.

[Dave]

I've never tried the pan method might give it a go. I favour scoring an X shape on one side coving them in a little olive oil and shoving them in the oven at about 180C for 30 mins or so. Put some in a risotto recently - delicious. I might try some chestnut pancakes soon. Should be an article going up in the near future as me and Andy have picked loads from a park near him.

Anyone else got any other chestnut recpies?

[chadspad]

I tried the pan method the other night and after about 20mins just got a room full of black smoke from the bottom of the pan, with the chestnuts still being uncooked. The oven cooking worked a treat, they were lovely!

Heres a site with 10 recipes

http://www.uktvfood.co.uk/index.cfm?ukt ... iID=536163

[Lou8]

We had chestnuts roasted over the fire last night. They were relly sweet and lovely.

My idea of heaven - sitting by a roaring fire, eating freshly roasted chestnuts.

[hedgewizard]

Nice recipes. You can score and boil them for five minutes to get the skins off more easily. Anyone know how to make puree?

[hedgewizard]

Okay, now I've got every kitchen worksurface covered to a depth of around two inches in chestnuts, since it's been raining for a few days and they need to dry out a bit before I can think about storing them. My book's no good for foraged food - anyone know how best to store them other than "in a cool place"?

[hedgewizard]

Well that was a steep learning curve. Chestnuts dry out quickly in dry environments, and go mouldy in damp environments - so unless you're lucky, dry sand is your only option. I think. On that basis I decided to skin and freeze them - the best way to skin seems to be to slit both sides (or chop in half), boil for around 3 minutes, and hull while hot. Any that refuse to give up their skin can have another minute in boiling water to loosen it, but as they cool down the skin seems to cling back on again so they're best done in small batches. Then you either simmer for 30 minutes to cook through, or freeze as is for later cooking.

But how are they done commercially? I can't see rows of Frenchmen blowing on their fingertips to do this (although it might explain the expense), and I'm not standing there for long enough to do all we've collected!

[chadspad]

Ive been trying to get hubby to come up with a novel idea for shelling chestnuts, they are so bloody hot!!
I have been thoroughly disappointed with chestnuts recently, even tho Ive paid an expensive price for them in a shop, they are bad when I cook them and at best a quarter are good for eating! A real shame when ive waited 30minutes, costing me precious gas, to cook them in an oven.

[hedgewizard]

One telephone call to an ex royal chef and twenty minutes of experimenting later, it's sorted. Cut an X into the top of each chestnut (the end with the little tuft of spikes on), and drop into a shallow panful of simmering water. WEARING RUBBER GLOVES, a minute or two later take two or three out with a slotted spoon. The shell peels down from the top, and if the skin doesn't come with it, it will soon follow with a rub from your gloved fingertip. Don't peel the shell right down to the bottom until you've done all four sides (you don't want it to cool) and then rub any remaining skin off. Any skin caught in the folds can be tweaked out by a helper (non glove-wearing), or with a knife, or rubbed off gently with a toothbrush. If the nut cools down too much and the skin readheres, pop it back into the boiling water for 30 seconds.

The nuts go floury if they're cooked for too long, so about six nuts at a time in the boiling water is about right so you can do two or three batches of peeling.

Still labour intensive, but you get beautifully clean nuts, don't waste so many, or burn your fingers.

[Shirley]

Haven't seen any chestnuts around here... but it's the continental market in Huntly at the weekend, so if they are not too expensive we might buy some and give this a go.