Peeling Chestnuts
We experimented with chestnuts tonight.
Here’s the best way to cook/peel them. Slice them along the 2 edges abutting the little “peak” instead of cutting one side with an X or cutting them in half. Place 8 sliced chestnuts on a double layer of paper towels in the microwave. Cook for 2 minutes. Peel them while warm. Easy as pie.
Microwaving made the meat a bit firm, as roasting does. And it retained a
sweetness. It didn’t break up, as boiling can cause it to do.
We also tried microwaving in a bowl with the cut sides down in a bit of water.
Bad idea. The chestnuts lost their sweetness and weren’t as pretty colored.
The Lunardi’s price is the best I’ve seen. Look for the biggest chestnuts (more
meat for the same amount of work), and beware of soft nuts that give. Beware,
too, if a nut looks moldy. We had some moldy ones.
We used an exacto knife to do the slicing. Paul can slice to the proper depth
to slice past the inner skin. Then the shell and skin both peel right off.
Slicing a bit deeper is better than shallow.
–jacque
