Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts with Soy and Brown Sugar

This is an easy to make appetizer using water chestnuts, brown sugar, soy sauce and bacon for something special to serve to your guests. Great for holiday gatherings, this recipe for water chestnuts is sure to be a hit and they will be gone as soon as you serve them. Fresh, peeled water chestnuts are soaked in soy sauce and rolled in brown sugar, then wrapped in bacon and baked. Crunchy, sweet, sticky and crispy all describe this delicious treat. This dish tastes best with fresh water chestnuts as they provide a sweet, nutty flavour, while canned ones just really don't have any flavour. If you have difficulty wrapping the ½ slice of bacon around the water chestnut, try cutting it in half again lengthwise. You will need 16 toothpicks for this recipe. Plan accordingly as while the preparation time for the water chestnut appetizer is quite short, they are marinated for 2½ hours. But, know that these appetizers can be prepared ahead of time and frozen before cooking. Placed in a sealed bag in the freezer, they should last for two to three months.

16 fresh whole water chestnuts
⅓ cup soy sauce
⅓ cup brown sugar, or as needed
8 slices raw bacon, cut in half

Peel and rinse the fresh water chestnuts. (If using canned water chestnuts, rinse in warm running water and drain).

Soak the water chestnuts in the soy sauce for 2½ hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Remove the water chestnuts from the soy sauce and roll in the brown sugar. Wrap a piece of cut bacon around the water chestnut and secure with a toothpick.

Place the water chestnuts on a rack in a shallow pan. Bake for 30 minutes, turning them over once. (Alternately, they can be broiled for 5-6 minutes).

Makes 16 servings.

Cook's Notes:

Glass Bakeware Warning: Do not use glass bakeware when broiling or when a recipe calls to add liquid to a hot pan, as glass may explode. Even if it states oven-safe or heat resistant, tempered glass products can and do, break occasionally.

Make-Ahead: Prepare this water chestnut recipe ahead of time and freeze for later use. Do not bake before freezing them. Put the uncooked bacon-wrapped water chestnut appetizers in a freezer-safe bag or container and put in the freezer, where they will keep for two to three months. When ready, simply preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) and bake as directed.

How to Peel Fresh Water Chestnuts:

• Cut off the top and bottom of the water chestnut
• Remove the skin with a vegetable peeler
• Rinse the water chestnut with cool water
• They can be peeled ahead of time but need to be stored in cold water in the refrigerator, with the water changed daily. Peeled water chestnuts can be kept for two to three days following this process.