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10:49 pm
Improver
Tue 1-Sep-09
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I'm roasting a pheasant tomorrow night and I have some sweet chestnuts (gathered locally, I might add and boast!). A few weeks ago I made some elderberry and crab apple jelly. Now, I'm thinking of combing the roasted chestnuts with the jelly to serve with the pheasant. Anyone tried this and what do you think?
Well, that didn't go quite as expected
9:22 am
Sat 12-Aug-06
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I think that sounds excellent - it would make a rich and fruity sauce - perfect for pheasant which can be a bit dry.
4:29 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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Oh boy! No pheasants, no elderberries! Wild boar with plum jam or maybe rowan berries would go well? Next year maybe if those pigs keep digging up our plot!
5:01 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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That must be so frustrating Joanna, I'm pleased that we don't have too many wild boar in England.
I'll try that again!
10:33 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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Hi, Tim, and welcome. I am really curious about how you found chestnuts. Whereabouts do you live?
I have only ever seen horse chestnut tress growing around here.
The last time we had street roasted chestnuts was when Fiona won a weekend holiday in Como three years ago, after buying some cheese that had a "win a holiday" sticker on it. I have to say that the Italian chestnuts were superb. The vendors had this great big cylinder, mounted over a barrow of coals, that they could rotate using the handle on the end. It was a fascinating sight, sitting at the other end of the piazza and lazily sipping a beer while watching the world go by.
Never knowingly underfed
7:50 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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I have seen sweet chestnut trees in the Sheffield parks when I used to live near there
11:55 am
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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I found some last week, in a municipal car park
Pretty isn't it?
I'll try that again!
11:47 pm
Improver
Tue 1-Sep-09
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Well it shows how often I get to sit down and log on. It's a fortnight since I roasted the pheasant and yes the chestnut sauce with the jelly went very well. The trouble-and-trife was very impressed.
Danny I live in Salisbury down in Wiltshire, which is close to the New Forest which is where we found the chestnuts. The sweet chestnut tree prefers a sandy soil. Now I'm no soilologist but up in your neck of the woods you're on more of a glacial aluvial silt, am I right? (Big yawn) So if you find yourself in the New Forest at the beginning of October next year, go to Godshill and hopefully you'll find a few
It's been a good year for them and we gathered a good few pounds of them and spent hour after hour evening after evening blanching and peeling the damn things! But it was worth it. We've made sweet chestnut soup, sweet chestnut and apricot stuffing, roasted sweet chestnut, boiled sweet chestnut, they're in the freezer, the fridge and every corner of every cupboard in the kitchen. My hands have been brown for the past two weeks.
I like them though and we've been back a couple of times to pick up some more though that's enough for this year.
Well, that didn't go quite as expected
7:38 pm
3rd Grader
Sat 10-Oct-09
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Hi all
Don't know if you've come across this web site www.gametoeat.co.uk . Found it on the calendar in my mum's kitchen. The recipe on the calendar for November was roast pheasant with chestnuts and madeira and this site was mentioned...can't find that recipe on the site but loads of others if you like game. I shall try a couple as I've been given 6 partridge and two pheasant this week.
9:26 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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I've been given 6 partridge and two pheasant this week.
Just like that? You lucky girl! I'd be interested to know how you make use of your bounty. 
I'll try that again!
11:07 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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Tim, I have no idea of the soil composition in these parts, but alluvial wotsit seems about right. I will have to ask 'er wot gets her paws muddy.
I would gladly swap you a trailer load of rich horse manure (a speciality in these parts) for an onion sack of sweet chestnuts next year 
Never knowingly underfed
11:16 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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Buckinghamshire clay here, good for roses and rheumatism. I am happy to say that so far I only have the roses. And Scioliosis, so you can't blame the soil for that can you?
I'll try that again!
11:10 pm
3rd Grader
Sat 10-Oct-09
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my bounty was a bonus given to my son's who went beating for a shoot they got paid too, so all happy. I'll be trying the partridge this weekend will report back later on what I try.
2:31 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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That is a decent bonus, extownie. Before John Coe retired from helping us with our garden, he would regularly act as a beater on shoots and arrive at our house with a brace of game birds. I think that partridge is nicer than pheasant. Hopefully we will be given some this year. Fiona does a neat trade: give me your birds and I will pluck and dress them in exchange for half the bounty. It works well.
Never knowingly underfed
9:21 pm
3rd Grader
Sat 10-Oct-09
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I haven't mastered plucking and gutting. I take them to a local farmer who does them for me at a reasonable cost £8 for 6 birds. Maybe one day i'll do it myself - someone told me to skin them rather than trying to pluck them but i think the skin helps keep them moist?
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