Chestnuts

Some ideas for anyone with a glut of chestnuts.

Stephanie Alexander suggests a warm chestnut and bacon salad: Sauté 4 rashers of bacon until crisp, remove from fat and break into pieces. In the bacon fat toss 250g peeled chestnuts 2 - 3 minutes over medium heat, remove from pan. Turn heat off, add to pan 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 125 ml walnut oil, a few drops of red wine vinegar. Combine well. Place 4 handfuls of salad leaves in a big bowl, add bacon, chestnuts and dressing, toss to mix, serve immediately.

She also suggests a gratin of mushrooms and chestnuts with olive oil, garlic, parsley and chicken stock.

Charmaine Solomon gives this recipe, which sounds lovely:

350 - 400g cooked chestnuts, peeled
1 kg pork spare ribs
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 tsp sugar
2 tab soy sauce
2 tab peanut oil
500 ml hot water
2 tsp cornflour

Crush garlic with sugar to make a smooth purée, add soy sauce, mix with pork and marinate at least 30 minutes. Heat wok, add oil, fry the spareribs until they are well browned. Add hot water and chestnuts, simmer an hour or until the pork is tender. If the sauce is too thin add a little cornflour slaked in cold water and simmer a few minutes to thicken.

Thanks for that recipe.
That sounds good davidt4 - especially as we are just looking at the next pigs who may be pork next week :)

I have heard that chestnut soup is delicious.

I tried that geldof - but it was (in my eyes and taste buds) very disappointing. Maybe it needs some meat?