I have just bought a bag of chestnuts for the first time and don't know how to cook them. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Here are a few good recipes!

Braised Chestnuts
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup Port wine
Thyme leaves, chopped
2 pounds chestnuts
3 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper

Heat a large heavy saucepan. Add the oil, butter, and chopped onions. When onions turn slightly brown, deglaze with port wine. Add thyme, chestnuts, chicken stock, and a little salt and pepper. Cover and cook until chestnuts are tender and the chestnuts have absorbed most of the liquid.
Serve as whole braised chestnuts or pass through a ricer and make a wonderful chestnut puree.

Roasted Chestnut Soup with Dumplings
1 1/2 pounds fresh chestnuts, roasted and peeled (or 2 (10-ounce) cans whole chestnuts, drained)
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon garlic
2 bay leaves
1 large Idaho potato, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
2 quarts light chicken stock
1 sprig thyme
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 lemon, juiced
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1 cup warmed heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a saucepan combine chestnuts, onions, celery, garlic, bay leaves, potato and chicken stock and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. In a blender, puree the soup in batches along with fresh herbs, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in heavy cream and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For the Dumplings:
1/4 pound ground pork
1/2 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon quatre d'epices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 wonton wrappers
In the bowl of a food processor combine pork, garlic, green onions and parsley and process until smooth. Add the Worcestershire, egg yolk, heavy cream, crushed red pepper, quatre d'epices and salt and pepper and pulse until thoroughly combined.
To assemble dumplings, use a spoon to place a tablespoon-sized dollop of filling in the center of a wonton wrapper. Use your fingers to wet the edges of the wrapper, then fold in half, easing edges so that they meet to form a triangle. Press firmly to seal dumplings.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook dumplings in small batches so as not to crowd. Dumplings are done when they float and wrappers are tender and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Serve dumplings floating in hot chestnut soup.

Chestnut Ravioli
1 cup roasted, shelled and skinned chestnuts
2 ounces sliced pancetta or bacon, finely chopped
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1 large garlic clove, smashed
1/4 cup water
1 Granny Smith apple
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt and pepper
48 round won ton wrappers (12-ounce package)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

Coarsely chop the chestnuts. Cook the pancetta in 3 tablespoons butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp on edges, about 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until onion is softened. Adds chestnuts and water and simmer, stirring, until liquid is reduced by half. Discard the garlic. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and mash to a coarse paste with a fork. Peel half of the apple and cut enough of the peeled half into 1/4-inch dice to measure 3 tablespoons. Reserve remaining unpeeled apple. Stir diced, peeled apple into the chestnut mixture with Parmesan, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Put 1 won ton wrapper on a work surface, keeping the remaining wrappers in plastic wrap, and mound 1 scant tablespoon of filling in center. Lightly brush the edges of the wrapper with water and top with a second wrapper, pressing down around filling to force out air. Trim excess dough with a 2 3/4-inch round cookie cutter and seal edges well, pressing them together with your fingertips. Transfer the ravioli to a dry kitchen towel, then make more in the same manner. Cut enough of the unpeeled apple into 1/4-inch dice to measure 3 tablespoons and toss with lemon juice. Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides and butter begins to turn brown. Stir in sage and cook, stirring, until sage is crisp and butter is golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add ravioli to a 6-quart pot of salted boiling water, then cook at a slow boil, stirring gently occasionally, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully transfer ravioli with a slotted spoon to a colander to drain. Slide ravioli into sage butter and cook over moderate heat, stirring gently, 1 minute. Sprinkle ravioli with unpeeled apple and season with pepper.

Chestnut-Truffle Cappuccino
2 tablespoons butter
3 shallots, sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup chestnut puree (unsweetened) or 8 whole chestnuts, roasted and shelled
1 tablespoon black truffles, minced, save a little for garnish
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon truffle oil
1 espresso/cappuccino machine

In a heated saucepan, add butter and saute shallots and garlic until lightly brown, about 3 minutes. Add chestnuts and truffles and season. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce by 1/3 and add cream and truffle oil. Bring back to a simmer and check for seasoning. Transfer to a blender and puree smooth.
Pour the pureed mixture into 4 coffee cups, 2/3 full. Steam like a cappuccino. Garnish on top with minced truffle and serve immediately.
Beverage: Chilled, dry fino sherry

Hawaiian Sweet Bread Holiday Stuffing
2 loaves sweet Hawaiian bread or egg bread
1 cup pineapple chunks, fresh, canned or dried
1 cup cranberries, fresh, canned or dried
1 cup chestnuts, toasted, cleaned and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 pound link turkey, chicken or pork sausage
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 medium onions, diced
5 stalks celery, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup whole milk
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 pineapples, centers hollowed out
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Tear the bread by hand into large, bite size pieces and spread out in a single layer on a sheet pan. Place the bread in the oven until it is dry and toasted, about 15 minutes. Remove the bread and place into a large mixing bowl. Mix in the pineapple chunks, cranberries, chestnuts, sage and thyme. Set aside. Cut the sausage into 1/4 inch rounds. In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, add the oil and brown the sausage. Once the sausage is browned, drain any excess fat from the pan and add the onions and celery to the sausage, allowing them to sweat, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the sausage mixture to the bread. Pour the milk and stock over the bread and sausage mixture, stirring to incorporate. Fill each half of a pineapple with the stuffing mixture and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top of the stuffing has nicely browned. Serve immediately.

Answer 2

Although it is only the middle of November, thoughts have very much turned to the festive season. The way that you can tell it is imminent is because chestnuts suddenly put in an appearance in green grocers everywhere. Until the chestnuts appear Rudolph is about as real as an ice cube in a furnace. After they appear you can break out the tinsel and dance the conga. Santa is back in town. Chestnuts are deceptive. Nay devious creations. They look like your normal, everyday nuts. And yet they are very different. Both in the fact that the fat levels in them are much lower then most other nuts, and hence are actually quite good for you, even if you are on a strict calorie controlled diet (which I'm not, but some of you fat people out there may well be - Fat People Unite!) And also because they are more complicated to turn into something edible then your average crack (the shell), chew (the nut), and slam dunk (the empty shell into the bin) approach. They require a grill, some time and most of all some luuuurve to make them delicious. So, in the spirit of giving back, here is the Stuart Brown guide to cooking perfect roast chestnuts. 1/ Cut chestnut in half. 2/ Examine the inside to see if it is rotten or has a worm. An amazingly high percentage of chestnuts do. It is as though the worms know a good party nut when they see one and all pile in. Very bizarre. Of course if you like eating worms then skip this stage and enjoy yourself. 3/ Place on a hot grill slit side down. The reason for this is simple. Chestnuts have an inner membrane that clings to them. In order to get them, 'just right', you need to dry out the shell sufficiently so that that membrane loosens its grip on the nut and becomes crispy. However, if you cook them slit side up you will just end up with a nut that is dried out and overly crispy. So you need to cook the shell. The shell will then cook the nut. 4/ Longer is better then shorter in terms of cooking time. Depending on the oven and the amount of nuts it may take up to 45 or 50 minutes to get the shells cooking away just right. This is a judgement call. But you will notice that the shells are at least browning nicely, and that the chestnuts slip easily in and out of their shells like perfect dinner jackets.

Answer 3

Roast Chestnuts

All you need is a stove. I went to the British for this because if anyone knows how to roast a chestnut, they do. From the BBC. I needed plain for a recipe and don't use oils.
by philocrates Requires Premium MembershipMy Notes

ONLY YOU see your private notes, and they print with the recipe.


6 servings 30 min

2 1/4 lbs chestnuts
8 ounces dry white wine (optional)

Since the computer will NOT let this run with one ingredient, we will add one. The optional wine, Drink it while the nuts are cooking however if you don't drink it is optional.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
cut a cross in the top each nut into the top of the flesh. Put in roasting pan and bake until skins open and insides are tender about 30 minutes [check, can vary from 10 to 30 minutes].
To serve place in paper bags. Peel away skin and pith [white stuff]. Eat the kernel.
Note: You can leave a test chestnut. Do not put the cross in this one when you put them in the oven, then when it blows, it bounces off the side of the stove, causes the cat who is sleeping on the rug next to the stove to have a heart attack, they are done.

Answer 4

The best is roasted chestnuts. This is what you should do:

Use the point of a paring knife to slash an X on the flat side of each nut, being sure to cut through the skin.

Bake in a single layer at 425 degrees F. for 10 to 15 minutes for peeling only. If you want them completely roasted, bake 15 to 25 minutes until tender. Stir nuts occasionally during the roasting time.

Always peel chestnuts while they're still warm. If they cool so much that the shell won't easily come off, reheat them briefly.

Answer 5

To roast chestnuts:
1. Wash and drain
2. Pierce each chestnut with the tip of a sharp knife far enough to enter the meat (Very important - hot chestnuts will explode if this is not done)
3. Place one layer thick and not crowded on a cookie sheet
4. Place in a cold oven
5. Turn oven on to 325 degrees
6. Remove from oven after 20-25 minutes

Let cool before trying to handle. If you find you like them a little more or less done then adjust heat accordingly.

LET THEM COOL DOWN! They hold heat and will burn the dickens out of you if you are not careful.

Answer 6

You can place them in a shallow pan and bake at 425 for about 15 to 20 minutes. Be careful some may pop.

Happy Holidays!

Answer 7

Put a X cut on each to score throuigh to the flesh so that steam escapes and they won't explode then roast over an open fire or in your oven until they start to split open then peel and enjoy.

Answer 8

well you can boil them , first take the shell off, slice a bit off the bottom and the top , they should be easier to take off like that. Then boil them till they are tender to touch with a knife, lots off people have them roasted , leave the shell on and stand back, don´t forget to add salt to the water. enjoy

Answer 9

Boil them to make them soft enough to remove the shell, then roast them in the oven on an oiled tray. Test as you go. Take them out of the oven and sprinkle salt over them. Lovely.

Answer 10

Traditional: Roast them on an open fire or just use your oven. They should have the texture of a potato when they're done.

Answer 11

cut an x on the flat side microwave for a minute then heat in a frying pan flipping once in a while intil edge of the x curls up and gets a little darker