Monday 15 October 2007

Mr HG's Hot Wine Chestnut Accompaniment

Take a heavy-bottomed pan and in it place: a dessertspoonful of white sugar; 2 wine glasses of plain water; a grind of allspice; a few cloves (say 4 or 5); thin peel from quarter of an orange; ditto a lemon; a stick of vanilla; a pinch of cinnamon; a little chopped ginger; some may care to add a peperoncino. Leave to simmer very slowly over hot ash while vigorously shaking chestnuts in chestnut roasting pan.
Away from the fire add four glasses of robust red wine ( amused by its presumption variety) and replace on the ashes - do not let it even simmer - until the whole is melded and red hot. Add a generous shot (after tasting, so as to choose appropriately), of any of the following: brandy (or cognac), grand marnier, fruit brandies, but never whisky or grappa. By now the chestnuts are ready, if they are not drink the hot wine and start a fresh batch while continuing with shaking the chestnuts.

Do not shake your head next morning.

4 comments:

Sackerson said...

Bit lik German Gluhwein - tasty, but deceptive.

hatfield girl said...

S, Scroblene was discussing roasting chestnuts but in his house it seems the wine goes before there's time to heat it (though it's probably too good to do this with it, I suspect Scroblene of a cellar full of goodies). When there's a lot of wine about of pleasant but wholly un grand quality it's a different thing though.

Anonymous said...

HG, remember that a knife cut across each chestnut is necessary to prevent their explosion...

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Hats,

That sounds marvellous!

I picked up another pound a day or so ago, and they are settling in nicely...

There may well have been a cellar here once, but it became the foundations in 1952! Now, we make do with a Scroblene Enterprises rack for 22 bottles!