1 1/2 lb Chestnuts (about 50 nuts)
2 lg Fresh tangerines; peel of
-- pith removed
-- in large chunks
3/4 c Sugar
1 1/4 c ;Water
1/3 c Light corn syrup
1 tb Orange zest; finely slivered
1/3 c Cointreau or
Other orange-flavor liqueur*
*Grand Marnier, Triple Sec, etc.
Chop each chestnut in half with a cleaver or heavy
knife (lay them flat side down on a cutting board for
easy chopping.) Place the nuts in a saucepan, add
water to cover by 1", and bring them to a boil over
high heat. Boil the nuts, uncovered, 3 minutes, then
drain them. Pry or pop the halves out of the shells.
The skin will usually remain in the shell; scrape off
any bits that adhere to the nuts. Halve each piece.
Return nuts to the rinsed-out saucepan; add the skin
of one tangerine and enough cold water to cover the
nuts. Bring the liquid to a boil, lower heat, and
simmer the nuts gently, partly covered, until they are
translucent, about 1 hour. If necessary, add more
boiling water to keep the nuts covered. Using a
slotted spoon, lift the nuts from the cooking liquid,
leaving any scum behind. Discard the liquid and peel.
Combine the sugar, water and remaining tangerine peel
in the rinsed-out saucepan; bring the mixture to a
boil. Simmer the syrup 10 minutes, then add the
chestnuts. Bring the syrup to a boil again, then
lower heat and simmer the chestnuts, covered, for 15
minutes. Remove the pieces of zest; return the sauce
to boiling and simmer it for 3 minutes.
Ladle the nuts and syrup into a sterilized storage jar
and add orange liqueur. Cover the jar, shaking it to
mix everything, then cool and refrigerate. The flavor
improves for several weeks. Stores for up to a year
in the refrigerator.
The author suggests spooning this sauce into stemmed
glasses and topping it with lightly whipped cream, or
serving it as an ice cream topping.
Yield: About 2 1/2 cups.
From _Fancy Pantry_ by Helen Witty. New York: Workman
Publishing Company, Inc., 1986. Pg. 224. ISBN
0-89480-037-X. Typed for you by Cathy Harned.
