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Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. NOT

CAPCOM

CAPCOM

many methods out there for the extrication of chestnuts from their shells, hulls or whatever. I just picked up a pound of them for my Beef Wellington recipe and was wondering if anyone has a time saving method of doing so. I would like to at the same time of extraction preserve texture and taste.
 
Aaaaaaand GO!
 
Crispee-FL said:
yes thats how I do it.... the old school roasted chestnut vendors always boiled them first.
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     They had the right idea. Roast them and immediately sell them. Let some other sucker suffer with peeling blazing hot chestnuts.
     CAPCOM - chestnuts are easiest to peel while they're still really hot. If you let them cool, they skin starts to adhere to them and then it comes off in little pieces and takes forever. It sucks blistering your fingers and getting stabbed under the fingernails with hot shards of chestnut peel, but it's worth it.
 
Hybrid Mode 01 said:
 
     They had the right idea. Roast them and immediately sell them. Let some other sucker suffer with peeling blazing hot chestnuts.
     CAPCOM - chestnuts are easiest to peel while they're still really hot. If you let them cool, they skin starts to adhere to them and then it comes off in little pieces and takes forever. It sucks blistering your fingers and getting stabbed under the fingernails with hot shards of chestnut peel, but it's worth it.
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#4000.
 
Yeah, been there done that. Would leaving the unpeeled ones in the hot water till time to peel help or bring about other issues? Or should I boil small batches at a time? Does the act of roasting or I suspect dry heat release the aroma and can the same be achieved after shelling?
 
CAPCOM said:
 
#4000.
 
Yeah, been there done that. Would leaving the unpeeled ones in the hot water till time to peel help or bring about other issues? Or should I boil small batches at a time? Does the act of roasting or I suspect dry heat release the aroma and can the same be achieved after shelling?
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     I would probably just blanch all of them at once and then roast them all at once. Roasting has to be done after blanching, and soaking roasted nuts in water would probably just leach out all that good flavor.
     We've always just roasted them and then busted ass to get them all shelled before they cool too much. It's a holiday tradition and alcohol is involved madatory. I learned from my dad that copious, some might say excessive, swearing helps too.
     I don't know about roasting after shelling. I think roasting in-shell helps buffer some of the heat's intensity - resulting in a deeper, more even roast. Roasting seeds and shelled nuts with more surface area (like pecans) works OK, but roasting a big nut like a chestnut naked (wtf are we even talking about here?) might just make them more likely to burn in spots before they get "roasted".
 
Hybrid Mode 01 said:
It's a holiday tradition and alcohol is involved madatory. 
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I can't say much for Christmas and chestnuts, but in my family this quote can essentially be used for any holiday and any tradition.  :party:  :drunk:
 
If I remember correctly from many years ago, I believe my grandma did something very similar. Cut, boil, roast. Then they were pulled from the oven and put under aluminum foil and a towel to keep them warm (and still steamy) leaving them easier to peel. 
 
dragonsfire said:
Def need to cut them, they can explode, not a good thing. Haven't bought them for a long time, too many bad ones in the mix.
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Yeah, I know about cutting an X into them. I was really just curious if someone had a steadfast tip to save blood and pain. I like the use of my fingers the next few days after. Thinking about scoring a large X across the whole side to see if that makes separation any more expedient. I think a damp hot kitchen towel might work for keeping them from losing heat too fast. I use the same for sushi rice. As far as bad ones go, I just select ones with no cracks or holes.
 
Wise cracks to follow.....
 
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