For an ingredient so tied to the holiday season, why do so few home cooks use them? We asked Elise Wiggins, chef at Panzano restaurant in Denver, for tips on making the most of this under-used and incredibly aromatic ingredient. Wiggins also knows her way around a chestnut: She’s offering chestnut specials — from chestnut tortellini to chestnut cream puffs — throughout December at Panzano (909 17th St., 303-296-3525, ).
Oven-Roasted Chestnuts
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut X-marks in the soft sides of the chestnuts. Place the chestnuts on a baking or cookie sheet with sides. Sprinkle with a little water (just enough to create a little steam.) Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Test the chestnuts with a fork to see if they are tender. Place in a towel, and crack in the same way as described for Grill-Roasted Chestnuts. Peel and enjoy.
Grill-Roasted Chestnuts
Fire up your outdoor grill. Allow to get to a medium-high heat at least 20 minutes before you’re ready to cook. Cut an X-mark into the soft sides of the chestnuts to allow steam to release while cooking. (This prevents it from exploding.) Place the chestnuts on a single layer on your grill. Allow nuts to roast until you start to see the skin slightly blister with a char mark, then roll around until it chars on all sides. The tell-tale sign that they are ready is when the skins start to peel away from the meat of the nut. Remove and place in a towel. The shells should be quite crisp so when you squeeze the towel the skins should crack making peeling easier. Enjoy hot, or save for a future recipe.
Candied Chestnuts
Makes enough for a cocktail party.
Ingredients
2 pounds chestnuts, shelled
2 pounds granulated sugar
21/2 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Place the chestnuts in a large pan with just enough water to cover. Bring the water to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the chestnuts. Using a clean towel, rub the thin skin off the cooked chestnuts.
In a separate pan, bring the sugar, the 21/2 cups water and vanilla to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue cooking the sugar mixture, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Add the prepared chestnuts to the boiling sugar syrup and stir the chestnuts until the whole mixture returns to a boil. Continue cooking the chestnuts, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Pour the candied chestnuts, along with the vanilla sugar syrup, into a large container and loosely cover. Allow the chestnuts to soak in the syrup for 12 to 18 hours.
Add the chestnuts and syrup to a clean pan and repeat the process; this time boiling them for 2 minutes, and then soaking the mixture, loosely covered, for 18 to 24 more hours. Repeat the entire process a total of 3 to 4 times, until the sugar syrup has been absorbed by the chestnuts.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees, and arrange the candied chestnuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the oven and turn off the heat. Allow the chestnuts to dry in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until they have firmed up and the surfaces of the nuts are dry.
Chestnut, Cranberry and Pork Breakfast Sausage
Makes 10-12 servings.
Ingredients
2 pounds ground pork butt
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup peeled and chopped chestnuts
2 teaspoons kosher salt
11/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 finely chopped fresh sage leaves
2 finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Directions
Combine pork with all the other ingredients and chill for 1 hour. Form into 1-inch rounds. Refrigerate and use within a few days, or freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, sauté over medium-low heat in a nonstick pan until brown and cooked through, approximately 10-15 minutes.
