- - Water Chestnuts - -

Now I know what you are thinking ... this is not a vegetable used very often in the South ... but with a little tweaking we can make them quite tasty. Water Chestnuts have a dark-brown skin, ivory flesh, crisp texture and a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. They grow in the shallow waters of lakes, rivers and marshes. Most often purchased in the canned variety sometimes they can be found fresh or dried from Chinese or oriental stores. If you have them leftover make sure you store them in a screw-top container, fully immersed in water and in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to one month, provided the water is changed daily.

If you purchase fresh Water Chestnuts make sure you wash them thoroughly to get rid of any traces of dirt. Also remove any soft or brown patches and discard any which are damaged or fermented. Make sure you immerse them in water with a few drops of lemon juice to prevent them from discoloring. Water chestnuts can be used whole, halved, sliced, diced, cut into julienne strips or puréed.

Brussels Sprout with Water Chestnuts

Ingredients:

1 pound of Brussels Sprout
8 cups of water
1 pound of whole Water Chestnuts, peeled
2 tablespoons of butter
1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

You may replace the fresh chestnuts with bottled ones if you prefer. Also if you wish you may add grilled chicken or pork to this dish.

Directions:
1. Trim the bottoms of the Brussels Sprouts, remove any discolored leaves and cut an “X” in the bottom of each sprout for more even cooking.
2. Bring 4 cups of the water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the Brussels Sprout and cook for 8–9 minutes, just until tender.
4. Remove Sprouts from the pan with a slotted spoon in order to drain as much hot water as possible. Immediately plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process; then drain.

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NOTE: If using bottled Water Chestnuts, skip steps 5–6.
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5. Boil the remaining 4 cups of water and add the fresh Water Chestnuts.
6. Cook for approximately 25 minutes just until tender; then drain.
7. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the nutmeg, salt and pepper.
8. Combine the Brussels Sprout and Water Chestnuts in a large skillet, pour the butter-spice mixture over them and cook, stirring often, for 5–7 minutes until heated completely. Add your grilled chicken or pork if so desired at this time.

Prep Time: approximately 60 minutes

Serves: 6

Now for a SIMPLE recipe with a SOUTHERN TOUCH ...

Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Ingredients:
1 pound of sliced bacon
2 cans (8 ounces each) whole Water Chestnuts, rinsed and drained

Directions:
Cut bacon strips into thirds; wrap a strip around each Water Chestnut and secure with wooden toothpicks. Place in an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Remove chestnuts to paper towels; let drain. If you like you can dip them in your favorite barbecue sauce place in a lightly greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish and return to the oven for 10 minutes.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 35 minutes

Yields: about 5 dozen

~ Chef Wilkinson ~