New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Finding Chestnuts Out of Season...

post #1 of 6
1/31/12 at 10:12pm
Thread Starter 

Next week I'll be preparing a Rôti de sanglier au poivre noir (Roast Wild Boar w/ Black Pepper). The recipe is from Stéphane Reynaud's Rôtis: Roasts for Every Day of the Week (ISBN9781935554653), page 140.

 
It looks great!
 
• 2 lbs 12 oz Wild Boar Roast
• 1 ¾ oz Butter, melted
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 5 Shallots, peeled and sliced
• 1 ¾ fl oz Cognac
• 7 fl oz Veal Stock
• 10 ½ fl oz Cream
• 1 lbs 5 oz Chestnuts, roasted and pealed
 
Now in the list of ingredients the recipe calls for Chestnuts. Where can I find these out of season in Los Angeles?  Is there any alternatives I can use, i.e. pecans or walnuts?
~Jayson
Reply
post #2 of 6
2/1/12 at 8:30am

 

@ Pie Bird,

 

I have a suggestion: Peeled and Tender Chestnuts are available in jars however, if you want fresh in shells:  you could purchase at a European type market or Farmer´s Market.

 

I live in Spain, the chestnut designation of origin is Ourense, Galicia ( 600 metres above sealevel in the forest of Ribera Sacra), which is located in the Northwest of Spain.

 

Perhaps, in northern California --- as they do not grow on coast in Spain.

 

They are still in season here.

 

Madrid is 40 degrees latitude and thus, San Francisco and New York City are too at 40 latitude.

 

Your roast boar looks scrumputous. Best of luck. Let us know results, of where to for chestnuts.

 

 

Reply
post #3 of 6
2/1/12 at 9:05am

As a substitute for chestnuts in that recipe, I would lean to a Brazil nut first, hazelnut second.

Reply
post #4 of 6
2/1/12 at 9:18am

Finding good chestnuts out of season is easy in Los Angeles.  Any of the big Asian markets, like Ranch 99 for instance, will have them frozen.  Not only frozen, but shelled.  Can't beat that.

 

BDL

Reply
post #5 of 6
2/1/12 at 3:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by boar_d_laze View Post

Any of the big Asian markets, like Ranch 99 for instance, will have them frozen.  Not only frozen, but shelled.  Can't beat that.

 

BDL



I've never tried the frozen stuff. I always purchase the jarred ones, typically preserved in a transparent jar. Those are expensive, but they taste ok. There is no liquid or air in the jar. I wonder how the frozen stuff compares to the jarred stuff - have you compared?

 

PS: As an additional stuff, most fresh chestnut I buy in L.A. typically have about 35-40% waste in the form of rotten chestnuts, so it's sometimes hard to justify the price and the time/energy spent peeling. 

Reply
post #6 of 6
2/2/12 at 9:35am

if you are lucky enough to have a trader joe's nearby, they sell roasted chestnuts in cryovac packages...maybe give them a call, as i'm not entirely sure that it's not a seasonal item.....a lot of asian dishes use chestnuts, so maybe check out one of the many asian markets you must have access to or even a good health food store's asian section...course it's gonna be cheaper at the asian market!

joey

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home