CHESTNUT PEELER

The most traditional use of chestnuts is roasted whole, with the shell and peel. Roasted chestnuts are sold in fall and winter on street corners in most Eastern cities. In Japan, Chinese chestnuts from Korea are marketed in that fashion. Peeling is done by the customer using a chestnut peeler as the nuts are eaten.

Before eating use our chestnut peeler to remove the outer shell and inner bitter tasting skin to obtain the edible kernel. Although chestnuts can be eaten raw after peeling they are usually cooked in some way. Cooking methods vary widely but simply can be done by boiling the in-shell nuts whole for half an hour and then cutting them in half and scooping out the soft kernel flesh inside using a small spoon. Another common way is to roast in-shell chestnuts in the oven, over hot embers or in the microwave, however you MUST pierce the shell with a small cut to prevent them from exploding when they cook! The nuts can also be dried and ground into an excellent quality flour for bread, biscuits, gravies etc. Chestnuts are very diverse in their culinary uses and many classic recipes are popular worldwide.

Our chestnut peeler makes the task of peeling chestnuts quite easy and quick no matter how you prepare them. The technique used in our chestnut stuffing recipe removes both the shell and the thin skin that covers the meat in one piece.

Chestnut Stuffing

This stuffing smells dynamite when you're making it and even better out of the bird. Makes 10-11 cups.

1. Preheat oven to 350 - 400 degrees F.
2. Score the shell of each chestnut around its equator using the curved blade of our chestnut peeler. Do not cut into the meat.
3. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 30 - 40 minutes, or until outer skin of chestnut splits.
4. Wrap roasted chestnuts in a towel to keep warm.
5. As soon as they can be handled, lift off shell and membrane (they should come off together) from each half. If necessary use the sharp point of the peeler to remove the tough outer skin of the chestnut and thinner inner skin.
6. Chop the chestnuts coarsely and set aside.
7. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
8. Empty skillet contents into a large bowl. Add cubed bread, parsley and enough stock to moisten the mix, about 2 1/2 cups.
9. Stir in chestnuts and add salt and pepper to taste.
10. Use to stuff poultry, or place in a buttered glass baking dish, drizzle with 1/2 cup more stock and bake 30 minutes to an hour.