Caramelized Chestnuts Recipes

CARAMELIZED CHESTNUTS AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Using a paring knife or a chestnut knife, cut a large X into the shell of each chestnut on one side. Arrange on a baking pan in a single layer, cut side up. Roast until flesh is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Immediately remove and discard shells, keeping chestnuts whole if possible. Set chestnuts aside.
• Melt butter and oil in a large saute pan set over medium-high heat. Add brussels sprouts; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 16 to 18 minutes.
• Add roasted chestnuts. Cook, gently stirring occasionally, until brussels sprouts are tender and spotted deep brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Add vinegar, sugar, and turkey stock. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has been reduced to a syrup, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, and serve.

VENISON LOIN ON SCHUPF NOODLES WITH LINGONBERRY COGNAC SAUCE, CARAMELIZED CHESTNUTS AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Venison Loin: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Sear steaks quickly in a hot pan with olive oil on both sides and finish in oven to desired doneness. Slice meat and fan it out.
• Serve with Lingonberry Cognac sauce, crispy potato noodles (Schupf Noodles), Caramelized Chestnuts and green asparagus.
• To peel chestnuts, cut an "x" with a paring knife in the flat side of the nut. They can be either boiled or roasted just until the skin begins to pull away. Work in small batches, keeping the chestnuts warm, and pull and cut away the tough outer skin. Clean chestnuts the thin brown skin from the chestnuts. Melt sugar until it is caramel color and add red wine until smooth and caramel sugar is melted. Add cleaned chestnuts, toss, and set pot aside.
• Sweat shallots in butter. Add orange juice and red wine. Reduce down to 1/2. Add lingonberries, cognac, and veal-glace. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Add mustard and simmer for 10 more minutes. Then strain through china cap.
• Bake potatoes until very soft. Let cool. Peel and shred potatoes through a very fine shredder into a large mixing bowl. Add spices, egg, and flour. Mix all ingredients quickly to form a dough. Now roll the dough into rounds, about 1/4-inch thick and 4-inch long.
• Place noodles on flour dusted plate and put in freezer. Noodles can be prepared a few days before the dinner. To finish noodles, fry in canola oil until golden brown and crispy.

CARAMELIZED CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325° F.
• Into a large bowl sift together confectioners' sugar and salt. In a shallow baking pan arrange chestnuts in one layer and bake in upper third of oven 6 to 8 minutes, or until hot and outsides are dry. Add hot chestnuts to sugar mixture, tossing gently to coat, and put a rack over baking pan. In a 3-quart saucepan heat 1 1/2 inches oil over moderate heat until a deep-fat thermometer registers 350° F. Working in batches of 8, fry chestnuts 1 to 2 minutes, or until brown and crisp. With a slotted spoon transfer chestnuts as fried to rack. Return oil to 350° F. between batches and carefully skim caramelized sugar from surface of oil as necessary. Chestnuts are best served immediately but may be made 1 hour ahead and kept, uncovered, at room temperature.

CARAMELIZED CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Bake chestnuts on a baking sheet in middle of oven until slightly dried and a shade darker, about 30 minutes. Cool chestnuts completely on a rack.
• Cook sugar in a dry 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, swirling and shaking skillet (to help sugar melt evenly), until caramel is deep golden. Remove from heat, then prop skillet up against a ramekin or metal cookie cutter, tilting it just enough for caramel to pool. Add 1 chestnut to caramel and evenly coat by turning with 2 forks, then transfer with forks to a sheet of foil to cool. Coat remaining chestnuts in same manner. (If caramel starts to harden, melt over moderately low heat, stirring.) Once completely cooled, peel chestnuts from foil.

CARAMELIZED ONION AND CHESTNUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread bread cubes in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Transfer to large bowl; cool.
• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté 10 minutes. Add rosemary; sauté until onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. Add celery and sauté until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add chestnuts and stir to blend. Transfer onion mixture to medium bowl. Mix in parsley. Add broth to skillet and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add to onion mixture. (Bread and onion mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately. Store bread at room temperature; refrigerate onion mixture.) Stir onion mixture into bread. Season with salt and pepper. Mix eggs into stuffing.
• To bake stuffing in turkey:
• Loosely fill main cavity with cool stuffing. Butter glass baking dish. Spoon remaining stuffing into prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake stuffing in dish alongside turkey until heated through, about 20 minutes.
• To bake all of stuffing in baking dish:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.