The product we used:
An Autumn Specialty
Here in Japan, chestnuts are still a surprisingly common autumn food. The only time I even heard the word chestnut in the US was in the grocery stores when that classic Christmas song was playing. In Japan, local vendors and farmers markets advertise when they start getting chestnuts in stock the same way they do for strawberries or roasted sweet potatoes.
Chestnut rice is a classic food for harkening in the changing colors of the leaves. Preparing the chestnuts involves a bit of manual labor, but if you’re a rice lover in search of nirvana, you won’t want to miss this seasonal specialty. Read on to learn how to make chestnut rice and add this seasonal delight to the family cookbook.
Recipe
Ingredients
Chestnuts, 500g (net weight 250-300g) [1.1 lbs (net weight 0.55-0.66 lbs)] Rice, 2 gō (360ml) [1.5 cups] Sake, 1 tablespoon Water, 360ml [1.5 cups] Salt, 2/3 to 1 teaspoon Kombu (dried kelp), 5cm square [2 inch square]
Note: “Gō” is a traditional Japanese unit of volume commonly used for measuring rice. 1 gō is equivalent to about 180ml or 3/4 cup.
Clean Chestnuts and Rice
To begin, clean the chestnuts and the rice if necessary.
Soak Chestnuts and Rice
Bring some water to a boil, turn off the heat, and then place chestnuts in the water to soak for 15 minutes. Soak the rice in cold water for 15 minutes.
Remove Chestnut Skin
Use a knife to cut the top of the chestnuts and peel the outer skin. Wedge the knife into the skin and then peel it the rest of the way.
Once the outer skin is removed, carefully peel the inner skin similarly to how you might peel a potato.
Cook
Once the chestnuts are peeled, place rice, salt, sake, and water in the pot (we are using a cast iron rice cooker because it makes us think “traditional” and “autumn”) and lightly stir. On top of the rice, place the kombu and chestnuts. Place it on medium heat until it starts boiling (about 5-7 minutes), then bring it down to low and continue cooking for 10 more minutes. Leaving the lid on, turn off the heat and let it continue to steam for an additional 10 minutes.
Serve and Enjoy
Remove kombu, stir, then serve and enjoy.
The Sweet Aroma of Rice Nirvana
Peeling all of those chestnuts is a lot of work, but getting to enjoy the flavors of autumn are well worth it.
