Chestnut Roast
Submitted by beefcake
Crispy-coated chestnut roast with onion, celery, garlic, and fresh parsley shaped into a golden roll. A showstopping vegetarian main for holiday dinners and Sunday roasts.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsLooking for a vegetarian centrepiece that holds its own next to the roast potatoes and gravy? This chestnut roast is your answer.
Two pounds of chestnuts get mashed with softened onion, celery, crushed garlic, and a squeeze of lemon juice, then shaped into a log and coated in breadcrumbs.
Into a hot roasting pan it goes, basted with oil until the outside turns shatteringly crisp while the inside stays dense and nutty.
Slice it thick, pile on the trimmings, and watch it vanish.
Kitchen Tips
- Canned or vacuum-packed chestnuts work brilliantly here and save you an hour of peeling. Drain them well before mashing.
- Add whole-wheat breadcrumbs to the mix if it feels too soft to hold its shape. You want a firm log that won’t fall apart in the pan.
- Baste the roll every 15 minutes for an evenly golden, crunchy crust all the way around.
Ingredients
Directions
Melt the butter (or substitute) and sauté the onion and celery over moderate heat for 10 minutes until soft but not brown. Transfer to a large bowl.
Drain the chestnuts and add to the bowl. Mix these ingredients together well.
Mash the chestnuts, onion and celery, then mix into the bowl the chopped parsley, lemon juice and garlic.
The mixture should be soft but firm enough to form into a roll, so add a few whole-wheat breadcrumbs, if necessary, especially if you’re using canned chestnuts.
Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃). Pour a little of the oil into a roasting pan and put into the oven to heat.
Form the chestnut mixture into a roll about 8 inches long, pressing it together carefully, then coat it well with the dried breadcrumbs.
Put the chestnut roll into the roasting pan and carefully turn it so that it is coated with hot oil.
Bake for 45 minutes, until it is crisp on the outside, spooning a little more of the oil over the roll from time to time during the cooking. Serve the Chestnut Roast cut into slices.
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