Help!! Please..........

[RudolphsAuntMabel]

Went to a chrimbo party a few weeks ago and had a veggie puff pastry parcel with a spinach base and chestnuts on top.

Need help to recreate this as my spinach always tastes cr*ppy and got no idea what to do with the chestnuts. Presumably stick them in the oven with that little cut and then peel. What then? Anything?

What sauce would go well?

any chance the spinach was mixed with ricotta? or was it just plain spinach .. I always find the ricotta makes a difference?

Might have used nutmeg - always makes spinach taste nice...

you can get canned precooked chestnuts, far more civilized

Use frozen chopped spinach too, defrost it on medium in the microwave and put in a pan to heat through with double cream, minced shallots and nutmeng and salt and pepper.

Make sure the spinach mixture on the bottom is cool before you put it on the puff pastry or it will end up soggy

You can buy vacuum packed chestnuts - Merchant Gourmet do them. They're much easier to use - just prick holes in the packet, microwave for a minute and then open and use (fab in stir fries, etc). No idea re spinach - just make sure it's dried thoroughly as it retains loads of water. Blot it on kitchen paper.

Hmmmmm, could have been, was quite yummy, not plain spinachy at all. Do I need much to mix or just a smidge?

Last one to twiglett.

suzy - you tell me this after I've gone and bought a bag! Did actually looked for the 'ready made' ones but couldn't find any in Tesco. If I go anywhere else before Sunday I'll have a look.

Thanks for the soggy pastry tip. Will cook spinach in advance and leave to dry.

Spinach and ricotta (from spinach and mushroom lasagne recipe) but it is yum

frozen spinach (400g)
cook from frozen and season well
put pan on gentle heat and add an oz butter and tsp dried marjoram (or nutmeg also nice)
take pan off heat ..

when cool mix in 350g ricotta and season well (keep tasting at this stage until it tastes yum

then plop it in your puff pastry parcel I would assume with yer chestnuts .. and bob's yer veggie

missed fresh spinach part

with fresh you need 800g and you need to wash it several times in fresh water

then you put it in a pan (no water) for 6 - 8 minutes (covered) strain out excess water and chop finally

return it to pan and follow instructions as previous

Many thanks ladies. Will remember and implement suggestions.

About the sauce - would a white sauce with chestnuts and ricotta whizzed up be ok do you think? Or would that just be plain nasty?