Ingredient Title Chef Category

Winter is prime for chestnuts

Chestnuts are a lot like acorns in that they fall from their trees in huge numbers, except in the United States. They are taken for granted everywhere they grow freely, which is in much of the world's temperate zones. About a hundred years ago a blight destroyed nearly every chestnut tree here, leaving only a fraction of what once grew.

The result of the blight is that chestnuts are now a special occasion food for late fall, winter and holidays, when we typically roast them in a frying pan in the fireplace or in the oven. In Europe and in New York City, chestnuts are roasted on sidewalk carts and sold in small paper bags. The buyers peel them as they walk down the street and eat them hot.

They are awesome as a vegetable; a simple stew of braised vegetables is transformed by the deep flavor and meaty texture of chestnuts. They are delicious alone, or as an ingredient in everything from one end of the meal to another--from soup to dessert.

How to peel a chestnut: Cut an "X" on the flat side, and then heat until the skins loosen. This can be done by boiling, roasting, or cooking in oil. This last process is the fastest and easiest while resulting in the best-tasting chestnuts. A bonus is the deliciously flavored oil, which can be used in salads or instead of butter in stuffings.

Chestnut Stuffing for Bird or Beast

The traditional stuffing for wild game.

2 quarts chestnuts
1 cup olive oil
6 cups beef broth
3/4 cup soft breadcrumbs
1 cup milk
3 shallots
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound bulk sausage
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 bay leaf, finely crumbled
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup brandy, optional

With a sharp knife gash and "X" in the skin on the flat side of the chestnuts. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a frying pan; add the chestnuts and cook for about 3 minutes, shaking the pan constantly. Drain the nuts let them stand until just cool enough to handle and with a sharp pointed knife remove the shells and inner skins. Heat the chestnuts in beef broth until tender; drain. Chop half of the nuts coarsely and mash the rest. Soak breadcrumbs in milk. Squeeze the crumbs dry and toss to loosen. Cook the shallots in the butter until they just begin to color. Stir in sausage and seasonings. Cook 3 or 4 minutes, stirring constantly with a fork. Add breadcrumbs to the pan along with the chestnuts and mix well. If desired, add brandy.

Glazed Chestnuts

Serve as a garnish for meats or poultry.

1 pound large chestnuts
Milk
1 tablespoon sugar
5 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour
Meat stock
Salt

Cut an "X" gash on the flat side of the chestnuts. Place in a very hot oven or under broiler flame for 5 to 6 minutes. Or heat in very hot olive oil for about 3 minutes and drain. Remove the shells and skins with a sharp knife. Cook peeled chestnuts in milk to cover with 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter until barely tender. Drain well. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a frying pan, add sugar and stir until golden-brown. Add flour diluted with a little cold meat stock or water and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Add the chestnuts, season with salt and cook until golden-brown, shaking the pan to obtain an even glaze. The chestnuts should not break.

Apple Tart with Chestnut Cream

Best made with firm, tart apples that keep their shape when baked. If you have a favorite tart crust you can substitute it. Nice made in a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.

Crust:

10 tablespoons butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Filling:

2 tart baking apples, peeled
17 ounces canned sweetened chestnut spread
3 large eggs

Tart: Beat butter until creamy, and then add sugar and salt and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour all at once and beat until just combined. Remove dough from bowl, place on plastic wrap and flatten to a disk about 1-inch thick. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, but still pliable, about 1 hour. Baking Tart: Preheat oven to 375 F. Unwrap dough. On a lightly floured surface roll it into a disk about 1/8-inch thick (you will have more dough than needed). Ease dough into tart pan covering bottom and sides. (Roll the rolling pin over top to cut off extra dough). Chill tart shell in freezer while you prepare filling. Filling: Cut apples in half from top to bottom. Remove the cores with a melon baler if you have one. Put them, cut side down on a work surface. Cut straight down through the apples, making very thin slices. Try to keep slices together. With a whisk combine chestnut cream and eggs. Remove tart pan from freezer. Pour chestnut mixture dough-lined pan and smooth it evenly. Fan the apple slices around outside edge, overlapping them slightly. Fan another circle of slices inside the first, overlapping the first by half. Repeat until center of tart is covered. Bake in center of oven until filling is puffed, set, and well browned and apples are tender, about 45 minutes. Cool on a rack, then remove from the pan. Makes 8 servings.

Ever wonder why an old joke is called a chestnut? Could it be because chestnuts wrinkle up after being hit by heat?

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