Sweet chestnuts

[ewt]

Chestnuts are now in season in the UK! Accordingly I went to my local park and gathered SEVEN POUNDS of the things, for free, which is about as cheap as it gets.

Does anyone have any chestnut recipes? I've been roasting them but they are quite filling and a little variety means I might actually get to eat them all before they just go off and get nasty. Is it possible to dry them for future use? If so I might be convinced to go and get some more, since there are so many. There must be hundreds of the trees...

(cross-posted to cheapvegan

Comments

[yady.livejournal.com]

I think you have made an error in your tags. Should it not be lj comm="something" rather than lj-com="something"?

*hugs*

Chestnuts appear to be plentiful here too, I think hennes also got a lot and would be interested in recipes...

[yady.livejournal.com]

Ah, fixed already ;)

[elmyra.livejournal.com]

I have a chestnut and chocolate souffle recipe somewhere. Remind me and I'll dig it up for you.

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

Ooh, yes please!

I thought of putting some in chocolate cake...

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Chestnut stuffing, but use sosmix or tofu or soya instead of giblets, obv. I don't have the recipe but 15728396904982161 Midwestern grandmothers will.

CHESTNUT AND CHOCOLATE SOUFFLES

[(Anonymous)]

Preparation time: 2 hours including cooling time
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Use: 8 ramekins
Serves: 8
400g (14oz) brown sugar
100mi (3 2ft OZ) Water
400g (14oz) prepared chestnuts peeled and
cooked in water (jars rather than tinned)
1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise
75ml (3fl oz) brandy
124g (4'/2 oz) caster sugar
400g (14oz) whole preserved chestnuts
in vanilla syrup
200g (80z) dark chocolate,
minimum 60% cocoa solids, broken into pieces
250mi (9fl oz) full-cream milk
60g (2' 2 OZ) UnSalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
6 large eggs, separated
icing sugar for dusting
Heat the brown sugar with the water over low heat
until it begins to boil, add the peeled chestnuts and
the vanilla pod. Bring the mixture back to the boil and
boil for about 3 minutes. Leave to cool for about 1
hour, then stir in the brandy. Cover with clingfilm and
set aside until needed.
Preheat the oven to 2006C/4006F/gas mark 7. Brush
the ramekins with melted butter and dust with sugar.
Halve the preserved chestnuts and divide them
between the ramekins.
To make the souffl6, place the chocolate and the milk
in a small saucepan over a low heat and stir regularly
until the chocolate has melted. In a large saucepan
melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook over a low
heat, stirring, for about 2 minutes. When the roux
starts to foam, gradually whisk in the chocolate
mixture. Cook over a moderate heat, stirring, for a
few minutes until it has thickened. Remove from the
heat and leave to cool. Whisk the egg yolks, one at a
time, into the mixture.
Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.
Gradually whisk in the remaining caster sugar and
continue to whisk until the meringue is firm.
Stir a generous spoonful of the meringue into the
chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold the
chocolate mixture into the remaining meringue.
Fill the ramekin dishes and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Do not overfill the souM6s or they will tip over and
collapse. Also remember never to open the oven door;
if you don't have a light in your oven, peep at them but
try not to let too much air into the oven. The soufflAs
will rise dramatically. Dust with icing sugar and serve
immediately before they collapse.

Enjoy
Paul