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Chestnuts

PattyO
PattyO Posts: 883
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I love chestnuts but I hate to X them. This morning I am taking the plunge and buying a chestnut cutter. $27. Ouch. So, how to cook chestnuts? Soak first, roast later? How long, how hot? What's your favorite way to use them. The season is short so I'm cashing in on it.
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Comments

  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    Max, you need a vacation.

    Nuts, Chestnuts, Roasted, Mad Max

    Every year at thanksgiving, i roast them for my stuffing. . .. roasted chestnuts are fantastic on the egg!!!. ...what you do is set up like you would for a pizza. ...platesetter with feet up, grid on the platesetter and pizza stone on the grid. .... dome temp at 425 degrees, let the pizza stone get nice and hot. .. . make sure you cut little 'x' on each chestnut (i bought a cool tool at williams sonoma that does this - makes it a lot easier). . . put the chestnuts on the pizza stone for 25 minutes. ... then remove them. ...thats it, easy peasy. .. . .if you want you can add a chunk of wood, hickory, apple, pecan, its all good. ...the flavor is fantastic, and those fresh roasted chestnuts add a great flavor to my stuffing. ...

    Recipe Type
    Appetizer, Side Dish

    Recipe Source
    Source: BGE Forum, Mad Max Beyond Eggdome, 2009/11/29
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  • PattyO
    PattyO Posts: 883
    Thanks. I'm off to get my cool tool right now.
    Legs up? You sure? OK, if you say so. I do pizza legs down, but I'm still new at this.
    Thanks!!
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  • Di
    Di Posts: 395
    This sounds so good! I haven't had chestnuts in years. Not sure where you can buy them in Texas.
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  • Gator Bait
    Gator Bait Posts: 5,244
     
    Great thought Patty, thanks for the reminder. I will have to look for some around here. When we were kids my Dad would roast them in front of the fireplace around Christmas time. Then when I was going to school in Boston a million years ago and had to hike the concrete canyons to the bus station every day I would often find the man with the Chestnut cart along the way. They would be to hot to eat right away but were great stuffed, in their brown paper sack, in a pocket on a cold, overcast, windy, snowy winters day. :)


    Blair


     
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  • cookn biker
    cookn biker Posts: 13,407
    So, when you X them it's just a score, right?
    Molly
    Colorado Springs
    "Loney Queen"
    "Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
    Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
    LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE
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  • Rascal
    Rascal Posts: 3,923
    Here's the scoop...

    http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/christmas/a/chestnuts1204.htm
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  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    Those instructions are from Mad Max so I guess they are correct.
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  • Gator Bait
    Gator Bait Posts: 5,244
     
    Hi Molly

    The chestnut is like giant kernel of pop corn and steam will form inside as they get hot. The X is cut through the skin so they do not explode and to make them easier to peel.

    HERE is another good site on chestnuts.

    Blair

     
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  • Dimple's Mom
    Dimple's Mom Posts: 1,740
    So what do they taste like? I've never had one. Do they taste like a nut or something else? For some reason, I've always had it in my mind that I wouldn't like the taste. No idea where that came from. but I'm curious.
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  • Gator Bait
    Gator Bait Posts: 5,244
     
    Hi Gwen

    They have a mild slightly sweet nutty flavor all their own that is very nice. The consistency/texture may turn more people off then the flavor, I have read that chestnuts have twice the starch of potato and this can make them dry and mealy I think.

    Blair


     
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  • mollyshark
    mollyshark Posts: 1,519
    You have a central market nearby? They always have them this time of year.
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  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    Kroger has 'em

    Spring "Never Ever Roasted A Chestnut" Chicken
    Spring Texas USA
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  • Di
    Di Posts: 395
    I do have one close by. I'll check there.
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  • Di
    Di Posts: 395
    I do have one close by. I'll check there.
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  • Di
    Di Posts: 395
    I'll check. Thanks!
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  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
    hi patty,

    richard got it right!!. ...thanks!!

    that tool is one of the best investments i ever made, even if i only use it once or twice a year!!...those damn chestnuts are a pain in the ass to slice in Xs in with a knife!!....the tool makes it a breeze ...one other thing i've learned. ..."never buy more chestnuts than you are willing to peel!!"...even with the Xs and after roasting...sometimes they are a pain in the butt to peel after they cool...so i never get more than 2 dozen or so!!

    and yes, i do plate setter feet up with grid then pizza stone....if you want to go feet down with spacers between platesetter and stone, that would work fine too ...
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  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    I was just thinking I would hit 'em a couple of times with my bandsaw to get the "X" on. Or drill a couple'a holes and fill up the holes with flavored salt or DP rub or some bourbon. Talk about 'wild' chestnuts LOL...

    If there's that much pressure inside chestnuts maybe we can capture it and have a low grade fireworks display at the Chicken Ranch...

    Spring "Power Tools Are A Chestnut Roaster's Best Friend" Chicken
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