Chestnuts

Looking for a good way to use chestnuts....in a receipe please! What are our options

Chestnuts are a feature in much Italian cooking. They make soup with them and fill tortellini with them. They even have chestnut flour that you could make crepes with...I will check my cookbooks when I get home.

quote:

Originally posted by meowzart

Chestnuts are a feature in much Italian cooking. They make soup with them and fill tortellini with them. They even have chestnut flour that you could make crepes with...I will check my cookbooks when I get home.

Thanks meowzart. We have the whole ones and looking for something special for Christmas dinner. :-)

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Originally posted by clothier

oh, in a recipe? Curses.

I would expect nothing less from you!! THX

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Originally posted by clothier

Nice to know I'm fulfilling those high expectations.

I actually have a recipe, by the way. It was for a dessert that featured a chestnut puree. You can have it if you like. It was nasty.

I take your comments to light and pass!

Ooooohh...Hows about a Chestnut Ricotta Cheesecake (Budino di Castagne e Ricotta)? The description says it is a "This rich crustless cheescake studded with chestnut chunks and scented with the unbeatable combination of vanilla and dark rum." Not too shabby, hmmmmmm?

If you like the idea of this, let me know and I will type up the recipe. Or if you like you can seek it out for yourself. It is from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rosetto Kaspar. What is also nice about it is that it says it can be made "well in advance and travels well." So if you are serving this to guests, it is something you could get out of they way before the big day.

quote:

Originally posted by meowzart

Ooooohh...Hows about a Chestnut Ricotta Cheesecake (Budino di Castagne e Ricotta)? The description says it is a "This rich crustless cheescake studded with chestnut chunks and scented with the unbeatable combination of vanilla and dark rum." Not too shabby, hmmmmmm?

If you like the idea of this, let me know and I will type up the recipe. Or if you like you can seek it out for yourself. It is from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rosetto Kaspar. What is also nice about it is that it says it can be made "well in advance and travels well." So if you are serving this to guests, it is something you could get out of they way before the big day.

You've got my interest! I've never been into chestnuts, but the local Japanese supermarket I go to is always smpling them and I've found their flavor interesting. Plus----it would givve me a way to use my last year's present (a springform pan) for this year's meal. Bring on the recipe please, Meowzart!

quote:

Originally posted by clothier

it's some sort of traditional french thing (paging lleechef to the white courtesy telephone) but I just couldn't eat it.

Smart alec........I didn't hear the white courtesy telephone ringing!!! Uggghhhh!
Yes, chestnuts are used extensively throughout France and Italy. You need to make a small "X" in the shell with a paring knife and then boil them for about 8-10 mins. to get the shell off (or you could just proceed on to roast them in the shell).
When eaten roasted, shelled, I find them dry and mealy and nearly difficult to swallow. However, roasted and chopped and added to a sausage/apple stuffing for Christmas goose they add a wonderful taste and texture.
In France, they like to use them equally as well savory as sweet. In Italy they put chestnuts in everything from soup to ravioli to tortellini.
My favorite chestnut recipe happens to date from the 19th century: Nesselrode Pudding, which is not a pudding at all but a frozen dessert. It was invented by Monsieur Muoy, chef to Count Nesselrode, a Russian. It achieved great celebrity during the Belle Epoque and is mentioned by Proust in his writings.
In essence, it is a chestnut ice cream (based on creme anglaise and whipped cream) laced with raisins, candied cherries and other fruits........a kind of frozen chestnut/candied fruit/ice cream. It is actually quite delicious and very simple to make. I can post a good recipe if anyone is interested........
See, clothier, I CAN answer the white courtesy phone with a legitimate answer!!!

llechef: You have such a great knowledge of usage of proudcts particularly chestnuts. I have a Chinese chestnut in the yard as we no longer have the American chestnut due to the blight.

I have a hard time gathering the chestnuts because of the squirrels and they also make a hard time to get the pecans.

I have had a hard time enjoying the chestnuts, but due to your input, I can do more.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Sundancer,
They actually offer at Boston University a Master of Gastronomy degree......I took several credits to my amusement, (Jacques Pepin is one of the professors) not seriously ever hoping to aspire to write like MFK Fisher or actually achieving the degree. Food history (and food chemistry) is quite fascinating.

I have not made this...so anybody who makes it, let me know how it turns out.

Chestnut Ricotta Cheesecake--from The Splendid Table
Budino di Castagne e Ricotta

"The rich crustless chessecake studded with chestnut chunks is scented with the unbeatable combination of vanilla and dark rum. That flavoring brings unexpected elegance to the cake, which originated as a simple country pudding. Creamy, smooth ricotta is crucial here. You can find it in cheese shops, specialty food stores, and Italian markets, or you can make your own. The grainy ricotta sold in most supermarkets wont't give you a melting texture. Do use fresh chestnuts if they are available. If not, use the best-quality prepared ones you can find. Present the cake at the end of a celebration dinner or take it along to a party. It can be baked well in advance and travels well.

[Makes 1 cake, serving 8-12]

Chestnuts
1 lb. fresh chestnuts or 1 lb. bottled chestnuts
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean split lengthwise
1/2 cup dark rum
1 to 2 tbsp water (if needed)
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Pudding
2 lbs. high-quality whole milk ricotta cheese
4 large eggs, beaten
2 tsps. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp. (2 oz.) candied citron, minced

Working Ahead: The chestnuts can be roasted and flavored one day in advance. Store them, covered, in the refrigerator. The cake is best still a little warm from the overn, or cooled and eaten within 24-36 hours of baking. Wrap it well and store in the refrigerator.
Roasting the Chestnuts: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut a slit two thirds of the way around each nut. Spred the nuts out in a roasting pan, and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they are tender. Cool about 10 minutes. Then slip off the shells and the inner skin just under the shell.
Flavoring the Chestnuts: Combine the peeled chestnuts, sugar, vanilla bean, and rum in a 4-quart saucepan over high heat. Cook at a lively bubble 5-8 minutes, sitrring often with a wooden spatula, until very thick. Add a little water if the chestnuts threaten to scorch. The chestnuts should be almost whole. Cool the mixture and remove the vanilla bean. Crush the chestnuts against the side of the pan until broken into bite-size pieces.
Finishing and Baking: Use the tablespoon of butter to grease the sides of a 10 1/2 inch springform pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir the ricotta with the eggs, vanilla, sugar, and citron until well blended. Lace the chestnuts through the ricotta mixture, creating streaks like a marble cake. Do not overmix. Turn the batter into the springform pan, smoothing the top. Bake in the center of the oven 1 hour. Then reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake another 15 minutes, or until a knife insterted about 2 inches from the edge comes out clean. The center of the cake will still be a little creamy. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool.
Serving: Unmold the cake by relasing the sides of the springform pan. Serve warm or cool, but not cold. To serve it cool, let it come down to room temperature, then wrap and refrigerate. Let slices sit at room temperature before serving."

Good luck dendan and Ed!!!

Turns out the store is completely out of chestnuts. Should have bought them when we saw them a couple of weeks back...will keep looking. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Thank you clothier, food history is almost as much fun as the eating part. I said ALMOST. dendan, keep looking, I can't imagine that your local store won't be getting in another shipment of chestnuts. Let me know if you want the Nesselrode recipe.

lleechef - the Nesselrode recipe sounds right up our alley. Yes, when you have time, it would be great to have! THX

ok dendan, stay tuned, I have to literally dig it out of the archives

lleechef: By your description of roasted chestnuts, I guess chestnuts roasting on the open fire ain't so hot. Mealy, crumbly and get stuck in your throat!! Just sorta romantic sounding

I like pecans and walnuts better anyway.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Sundancer, you are totally right. IMHO, chestnuts are not what they're CRACKED up to be (oh, I hope Ort. reads this).
Yep, I will take a pecan, walnut, hazelnut or cashew over a chestnut......but they are tasty in sweet confections, as the old-fashioned Nesselrode.
But the "chestnuts roasting on an open fire" is purely romantic.......hey, it makes for a good song and thought!
Back to looking for that recipe.........

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Originally posted by clothier

quote:

Originally posted by dendan

lleechef - the Nesselrode recipe sounds right up our alley. Yes, when you have time, it would be great to have! THX

Did i really need to know what goes up your alley?

We knew you would finally wake up today...welcome back...we think !!

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Originally posted by clothier

Pardon me for working. What was I thinking???

Hey, that doesn't stop us....

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Originally posted by clothier

Hmmm. Now that's a thought.
Me: Hey, while you are deceding, can I borrow your computer for a minute?

Client: Uh, sure why? Gotta check your e-mail?

Me: Nah, gotta check in at Roadfood. Gotta get a lutefisk and chestnut update.

LOL

AGAIN, more lutefisk bashing...

sometimes it's just hard to let go ...

quote:

Originally posted by clothier

I don't know what else do with it but bash it. You don't want me to eat it, do you? Any ideas on what else you can do with it?

HEY! Do you want to talk about chestnuts here or lutefisk????

to Dendan ( we don't know if you are HE or SHE or BOTH, no matter) here is the world famous recipe for Nesselrode Pudding. I had to do a lot of digging in my French recipe files but I found it and trust me, it IS good.
1 C chestnut puree (do like I explained above and just throw them in the Cuisinart)
1/2 C candied cherries
1/2 C candied orange peel
1/2 C Marsala
1/2 C Each currants and sultanas
2 T Kirchwasser
2 C whipping cream
Creme Anglaise:
2 C milk
5 egg yolks
3/4 C sugar

Combine chestnut puree, chopped cherries, orange peel, Marsala, currants, sultanas and Kirchwasser.
Whip the 2C cream until stiff.
For the Creme Anglaise beat the yolks and sugar until pale yellow. Boil the milk. Add to the egg yolk/sugar mixture. Return all to a pot and cook until just thickened. If you bring this to a boil, you'll have sweet scrambled eggs, EWE!
Cool the Creme Anglaise and fold in the whipped cream and all the nuts and fruits. Turn into a mold and freeze for 24 hours.
Voila. Nesselrode Pudding.

Thanks llee - This sounds wonderful. From both of us...

Enjoy and bon appetit.

When I was a young child, my parents put some chestnuts into the oven to roast. Suddenly, the kitchen exploded with noises of "gunfire." They hadn't cut the "X" in the bottom.