Chestnut Recipes
Chestnut Soup
Ingredients:
30g butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 rasher bacon
2 leeks, quartered
375g peeled chestnuts, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
5 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
2/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons snipped chives, for garnish
Method:
Melt butter in a large saucepan, add garlic, bacon and leek and fry for 3 minutes until leek is soft. Add chestnuts, potato, chicken stock and thyme. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and cover the pan; simmer for 35 minutes or until chestnuts are tender. Remove pan from heat and puree soup, in batches, in a food processor or blender. Reheat soup, mix in 2 tablespoons sour cream and the brandy. Season to taste, and serve in bowls, topped with a spoonful of sour cream and sprinkled with chives.
Fresh Pasta With Chestnut Sauce
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil leaves
1 clove garlic
3 eggs (55g size)
200g frozen peeled chestnuts
30g butter
1 Spanish onion, sliced
4 green onions, chopped
125g sliced ham, cut into strips
1/2 cup cream
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Edam cheese
Method:
For pasta, sift flour into a mixing bowl or food processor, add basil, garlic and eggs, and mix to a smooth dough. Knead by hand for 5 minutes, or if using processor, for 1 minute. Roll dough through a pasta machine, then cut into either fettuccine or spaghetti. Lay out flat on a lightly floured work surface while preparing the sauce.
For sauce, fry chestnuts in butter over low heat, until golden brown. Add onion, green onion and ham and fry for 2 minutes over moderate heat. Stir in cream and simmer for 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add parsley and cheese, stirring until cheese has melted. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in saucepan of boiling salted water for 5 minutes or until al dente. Drain and serve immediately with the sauce on top.
Honey Quail With Chestnut Stuffing
Ingredients:
6 quail
2 tablespoons honey
30g butter
1 small onion
Stuffing
100g peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped
3 green onions, chopped
30g butter
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup cooked rice
1 tablespoon parsley
Sauce
2 tablespoon dry sherry
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons chestnut puree
Method:
Wash quail and pat dry. For the stuffing, cook the chestnuts and green onion in butter until onion has wilted. Combine with remaining ingredients. Fill cavities of birds with stuffing, secure openings, and place birds breast-side-up in a baking dish. Melt honey with butter, add onion and simmer 1 minute. Pour over the quail and bake at 180oC, basting frequently during cooking, for 45 - 50 minutes or until pale golden and cooked through. Arrange the birds on a serving platter and keep warm.
To make sauce, add sherry to baking dish and bring to the boil. Stir in honey, chestnut puree and 1/2 cup water, scraping up cooking residue on base of dish. Simmer 5 minutes, or until thick and syrupy. Season to taste, spoon sauce over quails, and serve.
Ingredients:
30g butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 rasher bacon
2 leeks, quartered
375g peeled chestnuts, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
5 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
2/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons snipped chives, for garnish
Method:
Melt butter in a large saucepan, add garlic, bacon and leek and fry for 3 minutes until leek is soft. Add chestnuts, potato, chicken stock and thyme. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and cover the pan; simmer for 35 minutes or until chestnuts are tender. Remove pan from heat and puree soup, in batches, in a food processor or blender. Reheat soup, mix in 2 tablespoons sour cream and the brandy. Season to taste, and serve in bowls, topped with a spoonful of sour cream and sprinkled with chives.
Fresh Pasta With Chestnut Sauce
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil leaves
1 clove garlic
3 eggs (55g size)
200g frozen peeled chestnuts
30g butter
1 Spanish onion, sliced
4 green onions, chopped
125g sliced ham, cut into strips
1/2 cup cream
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Edam cheese
Method:
For pasta, sift flour into a mixing bowl or food processor, add basil, garlic and eggs, and mix to a smooth dough. Knead by hand for 5 minutes, or if using processor, for 1 minute. Roll dough through a pasta machine, then cut into either fettuccine or spaghetti. Lay out flat on a lightly floured work surface while preparing the sauce.
For sauce, fry chestnuts in butter over low heat, until golden brown. Add onion, green onion and ham and fry for 2 minutes over moderate heat. Stir in cream and simmer for 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add parsley and cheese, stirring until cheese has melted. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in saucepan of boiling salted water for 5 minutes or until al dente. Drain and serve immediately with the sauce on top.
Honey Quail With Chestnut Stuffing
Ingredients:
6 quail
2 tablespoons honey
30g butter
1 small onion
Stuffing
100g peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped
3 green onions, chopped
30g butter
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup cooked rice
1 tablespoon parsley
Sauce
2 tablespoon dry sherry
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons chestnut puree
Method:
Wash quail and pat dry. For the stuffing, cook the chestnuts and green onion in butter until onion has wilted. Combine with remaining ingredients. Fill cavities of birds with stuffing, secure openings, and place birds breast-side-up in a baking dish. Melt honey with butter, add onion and simmer 1 minute. Pour over the quail and bake at 180oC, basting frequently during cooking, for 45 - 50 minutes or until pale golden and cooked through. Arrange the birds on a serving platter and keep warm.
To make sauce, add sherry to baking dish and bring to the boil. Stir in honey, chestnut puree and 1/2 cup water, scraping up cooking residue on base of dish. Simmer 5 minutes, or until thick and syrupy. Season to taste, spoon sauce over quails, and serve.
