Plan B Forum

Gob and I took the hounds for a very nice walk by Lake Burley Griffin on the banks opposite the Governor-General's residence this morning.

My reason for wanting to go there are two beautiful, heavily laden Chestnut trees.

Whilst his Lordship released the hounds, to frolic amongst the Oak and Cork trees, I stayed with the Chestnuts and started to harvest the fallen pods. I had never done this before and I had NO IDEA that Chestnuts came in such a prickly package.

Once I mastered skinning them with my shoes, I went on to gather two kilos of the nuts before himself returned.

Now I HAVE such a wondrous nutty bounty, I am at a loss to know the best way to use them other than roasting.

If anyone ha e a special favorite chestnut recipe, please let me know.

I have been scoping the recommendations of the Tasmanian Chestnut Growers, but I really haven't a clue. Drunken Chestnuts has caught my eye and would use a shedload of two kilos:

1.2 kg chestnuts
60 g granulated sugar
240 ml dry red wine
Pre-heat oven to 180C
With a sharp knife, make a slit on the rounded side of each chestnut. Arrange the chestnuts in a single layer in a baking pan.
Place in the oven and bake for 30 mins.
Remove the chestnuts from the oven.
While they are still warm, remove the hard outer shells and inner skin.
In a saucepan over low heat, combine the wine and sugar.
Heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Add the chestnuts and cook until the wine is reduced to a thick syrup, about 30 mins.
Transfer the chestnuts to a serving dish.
Serve with your favourite dessert wine.

Any personal recommendations gratefully received. Also, due to Gob's dietary requirements, vegetarian recipes would be preferred.

Cheers.

Here's what we got...

If anyone ha e a special favorite chestnut recipe, please let me know.

Nothing here.

Just in case you might have been wondering...

'Jack Frost, roasting on an open fire...."

Conker fight!

Sean wrote:Conker fight!

Hey that almost sounds like something I understand.

And have probably participated in during my younger years...

Buckeyes! I have never eaten any.

The Buckeyes that grow wild down here are not the edible type...

Only time I've had them is around Christmas and we just roast them. Cut a criss cross in them first.
The best roasted Chestnuts I ever had were from a street vendor in Manhattan near Rockafeller (sp?) Center. of course it was around Christmas time

loCAtek wrote:'Jack Frost, roasting on an open fire...."

Chestnuts nipping at your nose

oldr_n_wsr wrote:

loCAtek wrote:'Jack Frost, roasting on an open fire...."

Chestnuts nipping at your nose

Yuletide choirs being sung by a Carol,
And Eskimos dressed up like folks...

Everybody knows a missile and some turkey toes,
Help to bright the season make.
Tiny eyes with their tots all aglow,
Will find the sleep too hard tonight...

oldr_n_wsr wrote:Only time I've had them is around Christmas and we just roast them. Cut a criss cross in them first.
The best roasted Chestnuts I ever had were from a street vendor in Manhattan near Rockafeller (sp?) Center. of course it was around Christmas time

A cross-cross you say?

I'll give that a go. I only put a solitary slash on the rounded side for the few I tried roasting last night. Although the nut meat I managed to extract tasted bewdifool, it was a bloody pain in the arse.

Round two, nuts for lunch!

I've had them off a charcoal brazier on London streets too, lovely.

Back in Cornwall I used to cook them in the ashtray of my log burning stove..

keld feldspar wrote:The Buckeyes that grow wild down here are not the edible type...

That thought crossed my mind that I had been taught they were not edible by humans...but the ones gob showed sure look like them.

The bits I was able to rescue from my stubborn chestnuts certainly tasted the biz, the skin just didn't want to release itself.

Potentially they needed longer?

I'll try again, with a criss-cross.

When I did them in the UK, I used to put them in the ashtray unscored. When the first one went off with a bang, then they were ready.

I don't want bloody Chestnuts exploding in my oven.

I'm the poor git that gets to clean it out, remember.

oldr_n_wsr wrote:

loCAtek wrote:'Jack Frost, roasting on an open fire...."

Chestnuts nipping at your nose

My dad has a voice like Nat King Cole, and he'd honestly sing those lines.


Ah, recalling fond, childhood, repressed memories ....

A few blocks from our house in Portland there was a beautiful chestnut tree. The ground was covered with nuts, in season, and it was nice to see them. I collected a few and roasted them in the oven at home.

I can't say I've ever had that much interest in the product but the whole thing was very aesthetic, just the same. A cozy kind of thing.

yrs,
rubato