Today we got a Comment from a reader about a riff she did on our Roasted Chestnut How-To from last year’s Thanksgiving. OMG, we thought, it’s next week!. If you’re still mulling over what to make – or bring – for your Thanksgiving day…here are are our greatest hits.

As for the inspired chestnut riff, it’s here:

“Well, nearly a year later and I’ve finally tried smoking chestnuts. I scored them sort of randomly (wherever I could get a purchase on the skin- some on the flat side, some on the round, always a crisscross), soaked them, and smoked them on the stove top over apple wood chips and a few dried sage leaves. It took about 45 minutes before the skin peeled back. They’re delicious!”

(To rig a stove-top smoker, use 10 or 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Place a round, footed cake rack inside (you can make “feet” with tight 1/2-inch balls of tin foil to elevate it over the smoking media). Heat the skillet over medium heat until very hot, then a some wood chips  – apple, grapevine, alder. Follow Stacey’s method above and see what happens.)

Perfect for Thanksgiving Recipes:

rosemary apple tart
spiced winter squash puree with roasted garlic
celery root and apple puree….
chestnut puree with fennel seed and bayleaf
an easy method for roasting chestnuts
roasted pears for sweet or savory improvisations
cranberry walnut conserve (for turkey and midnight snack)

Stay tuned for our Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe and improvised brining strategies.

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