RECIPES USING WATER CHESTNUTS RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put each chestnut flat-side down on a chopping board. Hold the chestnut carefully and, using a sharp knife, cut a long slit or a cross in the top. Make sure you cut through the shell but not the nut inside. The shell is tough and flexible like a skin rather than rock hard like other nut shells, so a small kitchen knife works well.
• Tip the nuts onto a baking sheet or into a roasting tin and arrange them cut-side up. Roast for 30 mins. The cuts should open up and the shell will start to peel back.
• Leave the nuts in the tin to cool down to warm – they will be very hot inside. Put a board on top of the tin while they cool to trap the steam and make them easier to peel. Serve as they are for people to peel, or peel them yourself to use in a recipe.
• If you peel them, you may want to remove the inner, slightly fluffy, membrane as well. If the membrane is difficult to get off (it shouldn’t be if you steam them as they cool), you can soak the nuts in boiling water for a minute to loosen. Drain and peel.

Steps:

• Remove the outer leaves from the sprouts, trim the base of each one and cut in half from top to bottom, through the root. Cook the prepared sprouts in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes, or until nearly tender. Drain and refresh in a bowl of cold water to retain their bright-green colour.
• Heat half of the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add the pancetta and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until crisp. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
• Heat the remaining butter in the same pan. Add the onion and chestnuts and fry for 8-10 minutes, or until the onion has softened. Stir in the cooked pancetta.
• Drain the sprouts well, then stir them into the pancetta, chestnut and onion mixture. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve piping hot alongside roast turkey with all the trimmings.