Microwaved Grand Marnier chestnuts, flambe'

A very simple yet tasty recipe. Fire is involved !

Step 1 Watch your fingers !

Chestnuts are definitely better when roasted but microwaves do a reasonable job.

First, collect what is needed :

Chestnuts
Grand Marnier
A sharp knife
A microwave safe plate
A microwave oven
A clean cloth to hold the hot chestnuts
A match or a lighter

With the aid of the knife make a cut on a side of each chestnut : this will prevent your chestnuts from exploding when in the microwave.
Forgetting to do so is probably not dangerous but having to clean the microwave is definitely a hassle you don't want !

Comments

[IHR]

I find stabbing the chestnuts with the knife held crosswise -- at 90 degrees to what is shown here -- reduces the explosions but doesn't eliminate them. Use a paper bag (my supermarket's mushroom ones work well), a big envelope or make a parcel with kitchen paper to stop the yummy bits flying everywhere.

[killerjackalope]

Nice except grand marnier is the devil, but that might be due to the fact that we found it in our liquor cabinet and my ma handed to me and said take a swig and see if it's any good, I considered it to be drunk angry syrup beaten by it's drunker angrier orange parents (making it the children of toadys millie and chavs (uk know what i mean) I can imagin it being good in cooking (must try some time.)

[ichipoodle]

Ahh!!!!!! I microwaved the suckers for 2:30 mins, and after 10 seconds, they blew up like grenades and made my nuke machine look like one blew off in it!!!! Good recipe, but i'll try it differently =) i wanna live!! LIVE!!!!
Just kidding ;-P

[5Volt]

Blowing up things ! Is there anything funnier than this ?

[ichipoodle]

Actually, yes! One time, i set up some ammonium triiodide crystals up in a square shaped formation in my dirt area and told my mom to walk through it!!!!!!! Hehe, i could've sworn i saw moon dust on her, she jumped so high! Yay! i have an explosive (pun intended) mind! hehe, boom...

[5Volt]

I was ignorant about ammonium triiodide crystals and so I read something and learnt they are (easily ?) done with (common ?) household stuff. Looks quite entertaining. I also read that you probably permanently coloured the explosion area with a nice dark brown. LOL !

[ichipoodle]

Actually, it was a fluorescent dark purple. Looked like something out of a sci-fi movie..mmmm, alien blood... but yah, it's incredibly easy to make. a few words of advice to you should you decide to make it: 1.) never, i repeat NEVER use the "sudsy" kind of ammonia; it creates impurities and can, and probably will, change the chemical makeup of the triiodide. Be sure to use at least 10% janitors ammonia. I wouldn't use pure lab grade because it violates my wallet ;) but it is preferred. Second, don't use morton's iodized salt for the crystals; same reasons as not using sudsy ammonia. do your best to find iodine crystals. third, wear face shields and leather gloves, as the stuff is quite unpredictable and because the crystals will stain your hands a lovely shade of poop brown. one more thing i forgot to say; be EXTREMELY CAREFUL with it!!! someone poured lab grade 99% ammonia over high grade crystals, and when a little gnat landed on it... BOOOMZIES! other than that, have fun and make minefields for your friends!!! yippie! i'd like to do an instructable on it, but i hardly have the time. perhaps we could set up a collaboration? when i've got time, i'll photograph the materials or something...

[fungus amungus]

Nice! I think this is a better fit for the thanksgiving contest, though.

[5Volt]

Thanks for the hint, done.

[fungus amungus]

No problem. By the way, did you get a new camera?

[5Volt]

Yes I found a great bargain in an Olympus SP350: not the latest model but 8 Mpix and complete manual control plus ext flash socket ! Ciao.

[CatMan]

a GREAT idea, that can be improved vastly: despite it's impressive nature, the action of flambe does not contribute much taste to the final product. sprinkling (brown) sugar on the chestnuts AFTER pouring the alcohol and BEFORE lighting them will cause sugar to coat the chestnuts evenly and CARAMELIZE during the flambe. the caramel will stick to the nuts, and the end result will be sweeter and have a nicer texture. mixing a pinch of salt with the sugar prior to sprinkling it will probably further enhance the flavour, as with other deserts.

[powerfool]

mmm... yummy! :D that's a great addition to the "project"! :)) I'll try it tonight...

[5Volt]

Mhhh....sugar !....

[egreen767]

What do chestnuts taste like? I have never actually had them.

[5Volt]

Oh, they taste very good to me. A good chance to try 'em, I'd say. Hurry up tho, chestnuts season's almost gone. Ciao

[Yerboogieman]

also for those who think its said how its spelled its pernounced grand marn-A

[Yerboogieman]

that grand marnier is also good in margaritas

[GorillazMiko]

I agree with ewilhelm, final picture is really nice!

[5Volt]

Thank you.

[ewilhelm]

Nice final picture!

[5Volt]

Thanks again, almost forgot : I can't find this instructable in the "sort by: recent" page...

[darkmuskrat]

Final pic = "Quick Ripley! Kill the aliens!"
lol, im trying this tonight.

[GorillazMiko]

looks delicious!

[Patrik]

Looks great! You may also want to heat up the plate in advance, and don't do this on one of your best plates - the alcohol won't burn all that hot, but a cold and fragile plate might crack due to the sudden temperature shock. Now you make me want to prepare crepe flambee for the holidays... :D Flambe'd bananas are pretty nice too.