Too bad I had only a crooked picture 🙂
So both of these (and the Chestnuts) are some of my favourite things to make. Lets hit the chestnuts first..
If you have not made roasted Chestnuts, this is a MUST DO and it is SO EASY!
Get the Chestnuts, they are pretty expensive, but so good.
Score the Chestnuts on the rounded part of the shell, you want to just get through the shell with the pairing knife. Lay them out on a cookie sheet, score side up. Into the oven 350 degrees and roast until you see the scored part of the shell start to pull back and discolour, usually about 30 minutes.
Let them cool slightly, then serve.
Artichoke’s… I feel a lot of people are afraid to make these. There are three main methods in my book. Boil it, cut it and foil wrap it, and grill it. Grilling them is usually done after boiling or foil wrapping them, but can be done just strait on the grill, but you chance drying it out that way.
I foil wrap them 90% of the time, either in the oven or on the grill.
You need: Artichoke, olive oil, garlic, seasoning (I use garlic salt and pepper usually), and some fresh herbs like basil.
Cut the Arti in half, and remove the fluffy inside and the first couple layers of inner leaves. Rub it with olive oil quickly (you can also rub with lemon to stop the browning then add the oil). I try and separate the leaves a little and shake the garlic salt/pepper mix between the leaves, and then tuck parts of basil leaves between some of them also.
Remove the casing from some garlic (four to six cloves) and put them into the middle of the artichokes with a little additional oil.
Wrap it all in foil and into the oven (350) or onto the grill for about one hour.
Baked Brie
Baked Brie is fun, but labor intensive in a way. Phyllo dough is used, with a lot of butter. I coat the brie with fig jam. Then wrap it.
Lay the Phyllo out one sheet at a time on a cookie sheet, brushing it with melted butter. Four or five sheets for the base. You then cross sheets there after, brushing with butter, until you are about 10 sheets of dough. Place the brie in the middle, coat with fig jam (some people add walnuts also, I hate walnuts so I do not do that), then take two sides and wrap, then the other two sides and pull up also, and pinch the top into a nice bundle (mine is not a nice bundle, needs more practice for sure).
Into the oven at 400 for about 25-30 mins. Watch the dough closely at the 20 min mark so you do not burn it.
All three of these are GREAT appetizer ideas.
What are your favourite apps to make?
