[khelashi]

Do any of you know any good recipes? I just came home from a beautiful walk with my family & collected a small bag full of monkey puzzles. I heard they are like pine nuts, very nutritious too, but taste a bit unripe & green to me. Do you roast them? Cook them? Grind them into a paste? Any ideas?

[arugula]

I didn't know they were edible, but do now!  If they are like pine nuts, why not make a pesto?

[Debz]

Hugh Fernley-Whitingstall collected some of these on one of his programmes.  I think it was his vegetarian one.  Might be worth googling him.  I can't remember what he did with them but he definately used them.

[mattwragg94]

Hugh Fernley-Whitingstall collected some of these on one of his programmes.  I think it was his vegetarian one.  Might be worth googling him.  I can't remember what he did with them but he definately used them.

i can remember seeing that too - i think it was this recipe, but im not sure!

http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/summer-couscous-with-monkey-puzzle-nuts-recipe

[arugula]

http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/summer-couscous-with-monkey-puzzle-nuts-recipe

That's the first result on a google search.

[cheshirecheese]

You learn something new every day (especially on this website)!!  I'd no idea they were edible 

[khelashi]

Hmmm, that sounds tasty - I love River Cottage anyway! ;-)
Ok, I boiled the nuts (still on the stove as we speak...or type;-)) and tasted them, they are delicious!! Not unlike chestnuts, very similar texture, but milder flavour.
I found a few recipes also, they are hard to find, but there are some traditional chilean ones (monkey puzzle is Chiles national tree) and also I found a lot of Bunya nut recipes, which are very similar to monkey puzzle. Bunya trees grow in Australia, often in parks & gardens, and, like here, the nuts are not collected very much. So I came across this guy that promotes bunya nut recipes - I'm definitely gonna try!
jG3pDeqwVecLyPjMPYPChoCheck out the pasta, yumm!! Although I'd rather use the food processor than crushing them one by one... ;-)

[khelashi]

Ok, so I had monkey puzzle for dinner!
A very simple dish to begin with, just (painstakingly pealed!) monkey puzzle nuts fried in coconut oil with generous amounts of red chili and garlic. Seasoned with salt.
Very tasty I have to say! Will try out more dishes another time, but I do recommend having some helpers to peel them! ;-)

[cheshirecheese]

Ok, so I had monkey puzzle for dinner!
A very simple dish to begin with, just (painstakingly pealed!) monkey puzzle nuts fried in coconut oil with generous amounts of red chili and garlic. Seasoned with salt.
Very tasty I have to say! Will try out more dishes another time, but I do recommend having some helpers to peel them! ;-)

These sound great! 

[khelashi]

I made up a pate with monkey puzzle, coconut oil, garlic, chili, oregano & seasoning, it's absolutely gorgeous! The nicest pate I have ever tasted maybe? ;-)

[cheshirecheese]

I made up a pate with monkey puzzle, coconut oil, garlic, chili, oregano & seasoning, it's absolutely gorgeous! The nicest pate I have ever tasted maybe? ;-)

Ah right - I thought maybe you'd done them like spiced roasted peanuts or cashews.  The pate sounds lovely - I must tell my veggie daughter!!