CHESTNUT RECIPES

 

                                          

 

 

The chestnut, Kastanea Fagacea , is said to have  originated from Lydia, an ancient kingdom in Asia Minor and has been used as food since those times.  Chestnuts are the least oily of all nuts and are very easy to digest.

 

Chestnuts are usually roasted, boiled, ground into flour and used to make bread , cakes and biscuits.

 

Chestnuts are enclosed in a prickly case.  Each nut is protected by a thick, inedible skin and an also inedible brown membrane both of which have to be removed before eating.  After improved cultivation chestnut trees produce more flavoursome chestnuts.

 

Chestnuts can be cooked in the following ways.

 

 

                                                 BAKED CHESTNUTS

1 kg (2 lb) chestnuts, shelled

500 ml (2 cups) tasty chicken stock or more

Cayenne pepper to taste

 

Cook the chestnuts in boiling water for 10 minutes, remove from  the heat and peel off the brown skin.

 

Place the chestnuts in a baking dish, cover with stock, sprinkle evenly with Cayenne and bake for 35 minutes until tender.  Serve with a small quantity of stock.  

 

 

                                                   BOILED CHESTNUTS

1 kg (2 lb) chestnuts, shelled

Salt to taste

 

Butter

Salt and freshly ground white pepper and grated nutmeg  to taste

250 ml (1 cup) cream

 

Cook the chestnuts in salted boiling water for 10 minutes.  Remove from the fire and peel off the brown skin.  Then place again in the boiling water and cook for 25 minutes or until tender when tested with a fork.

 

Serve whole or mashed and seasoned with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cream.

 

                                                ROASTED CHESTNUTS

1 kg (2 lb) chestnuts

Water  to cover

Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Grated nutmeg to taste  

 

Cook the chestnuts in boiling water and allow to blanch for 10 minutes, then remove the brown skin.  Place in a saucepan, cover with salted boiling water and boil 25 minutes longer or until tender. Serve with cream sauce.  

 

                                                      CREAM SAUCE

250 ml (1 cup) milk

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp plain flour

1 bay leaf

125 ml ( ½ cup) cream

Salt freshly ground white pepper and grated nutmeg to taste

 

Heat milk and keep hot.  Sauté butter and flour, over medium heat, for about 5 minutes to prevent the taste of raw flour, stirring constantly, add the bay leaf and cook for a minute more.  Then pour in the hot milk, and simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickens.  Discard the bay leaf and stir in the cream and season with salt, white pepper and grated nutmeg to taste.

 

 

                                         CHESTNUTS WITH BROWN SAUCE

1 kg (2 lb) chestnuts, shelled

Water

500 ml (2 cups) tasty stock

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp plain flour

1 bay leaf

Salt, freshly ground white pepper to taste

Grated nutmeg to taste

 

Cover the chestnuts with boiling water and blanch for 10 minutes then peel off the brown skin.  Place them in a saucepan, cover with boiling stock and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender.   Drain and reserve the stock.

 

Place 2 tbsp of butter to a frying pan to brown, when brown stir in 2 tbsp of flour and a bay leaf and mix until smooth.  Then pour in the reserved stock, stirring constantly until the sauce boils and thickens.  Taste for seasoning and adjust with extra salt, pepper and nutmeg. Discard the bay leaf and pour the sauce lavishly over the chestnuts.

 

 

                                             CREAM OF CHESTNUT SOUP

1 kg (2 lb) chestnuts, shelled

500 ml (2 cups) of milk or white stock (extra stock for a thinner soup)

250 ml (1 cup) cream

½ tsp salt

½ tsp white pepper

½ tsp grated nutmeg

1 tsp sugar

1 egg, whipped

 

Cover the chestnuts with water for 10 minutes and remove the brown skins.  Then cover with boiling salted water and simmer for about 30 minutes until tender.  Mash them and push them through a fine strainer on the milk or stock and cream.

 

Simmer the soup for 5 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning, with salt, white pepper and grated nutmeg, if necessary.  Add a little sugar if desired.  Remove from the heat and quickly stir in the whipped egg.

 

If the soup seems too thick add extra milk or stock before adding the whipped egg.  Simmer very, very gently and serve with toasted croutons.

 

 

                                                CHESTNUT CROQUETTES

1 cup mashed chestnuts

2 egg yolks

2 tbsp thick cream

1 tbsp sugar

½ tsp vanilla

 

Butter

Breadcrumbs

2 egg whites whipped slightly

 

Mix the ingredients in order given.  Shape into balls, dip in crumbs, whipped egg whites and crumbs again and fry in butter until crisp and golden. Place on kitchen paper to drain. 

 

 

                                                CHESTNUT PRESERVE

2 kg (4 lb) chestnuts, shelled and skinned

2 kg (4 lb) sugar

1 litre (4 cups) water

1 cinnamon stick

      

Cover the chestnuts with boiling slightly salted water and simmer for 20 minutes until almost tender. Strain and set aside.  Meanwhile prepare a thick syrup with sugar, water and the cinnamon stick. Arrange the chestnuts into the syrup and simmer until soft and delicious.  When cold, place in prepared jars.  This is a very rich preserve and is used in puddings or as a spoon sweet.

 

 

                                        CHESTNUT CHOCOLATE TERRINE

1 kg (2 lb) chestnuts, shelled and peeled

125 g (4.15 oz) butter

1 cup sugar

250 g (8.30 oz) chocolate

1 vanilla pod

Rum or brandy

Whipped cream to serve

 

Simmer the nuts with the vanilla pod in boiling water until tender, then drain and puree.  Whip butter and sugar until white and fluffy.  Melt the chocolate with 125 ml ( ½ cup) of boiling water and when cool add to the butter and sugar mixture also stir in the chestnut puree and rum or brandy, to taste.

 

Turn onto a loaf tin lined with cling film cover and chill overnight.  Reverse on a dish and serve with fresh fruit and with whipped cream.      

 

                                                 MARRONS GLACES

Almost everybody’s favourite, so it might be smart to double the recipe.

 

30 large chestnuts

450 g (2 cups) sugar

500 ml (2 cups) water

A piece of lemon rind

½ tbsp lemon juice

 

Wash and parboil the chestnuts in slightly salted water, peel and set them aside.

 

Place the sugar and water with the lemon peel in a large saucepan and bring to the boil, add the chestnuts and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove the saucepan from heat. 

 

On the second day, remove the chestnuts with a slotted spoon and reduce the syrup by boiling for 10 minutes, then add the chestnuts and simmer for another 15 minutes and remove the saucepan from the fire.

 

On the third day, remove the chestnuts and bring the syrup to the boil with the lemon juice  until it thickens. Then add the chestnuts but do not bring to the boil.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and when almost cold, remove the chestnuts with a slotted spoon and place them on a rack to drain.  When completely cold, wrap with special foil, lined with paper.    

 

     

                                     Chestnut Trees by Camille Pisarro 1873