Chestnut Purée Recipes

CHESTNUT PUREE

Steps:

• Combine chestnuts, milk, and salt in a saucepan. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan, and toss in pod. Bring to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, until chestnuts are very soft and all but about 1/2 cup of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.
• Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, reserving chestnuts and cooking liquid separately and discarding vanilla pod. Process chestnuts in a food processor until very smooth, adding reserved cooking liquid (and additional milk if needed), 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture is the consistency of a thick spread. Pour through a large-mesh sieve. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.

CHESTNUT-POTATO PUREE

Steps:

• Place the chestnuts in a large saucepot and fill with water. Season generously with salt and bring the pot to a boil. Add the potatoes and continue to boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Drain the cooked potato-chestnut mixture and return to the pot. Add the hot cream and cold butter and stir vigorously until combined. Check the seasoning; add salt, if needed. If the mixture is a little stiff, add more cream and butter until it reaches the desired consistency. Place in a serving bowl and cover with foil until ready to serve.

CHESTNUT AND POTATO PURéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Prick each potato in a few places with a fork, then divide potatoes into 3 groups and wrap each group in foil. Bake in oven until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
• While potatoes bake, melt butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, then cook chestnuts, stirring, 5 minutes. Add half-and-half, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and gently simmer, covered, until chestnuts are very tender and cream is infused with bay leaf, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf, then transfer chestnuts with a slotted spoon to a blender. Add enough cooking liquid to purée chestnuts easily, then purée until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return purée to pot with remaining liquid and stir together. Keep warm over very low heat.
• Holding them with a kitchen towel to protect your hands, carefully unwrap and peel potatoes, a few at a time, and push through ricer into chestnut mixture. Stir to combine (mixture will continue to thicken) and season to taste.

NO-PEEL CHESTNUT PURéE

Steps:

• Set oven to 375 degrees, and bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Remove the shell and pith from the nut kernel in a colander or blanching basket (as described above). Save the water for now. Toss discolored nuts.
• Transfer nuts to a glass baking dish filled with 1/4 cup chestnut bath, and roast in oven for 12 minutes. (If ovens are at a premium, you can boil the nuts for 15 to 20 minutes and skip this step.)
• Pour chestnuts into a food processor with cream, butter and 1/2 cup chestnut water. Purée until the chestnuts have the texture of a smooth spackle. If the mixture seems more like mortar, add reddish water from the chestnut pot, 1/8 cup at a time, until the consistency seems pleasing.
• If you're trying to woo children, make a grand show of adding 2 tablespoons honey. Let them lick the spoon, which might have (just accidentally) touched the chestnut purée.
• Add salt and pepper to taste; serve hot.

CHESTNUT PUREE

Steps:

• Place the chestnuts in a saucepan with the chicken stock and celery. Simmer, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes or until the chestnuts are soft. Drain well.
• Put the chesnuts through a food mill or ricer and, while they are still hot, beat in the butter, hot milk and cream using a small whisk or spoon. Salt to taste. Serve hot.

CHESTNUT PUREE

Steps:

• Shell the chestnuts by making a shallow incision ONLY in the round portion of each nut.
• Put chestnuts on a baking sheet in a very small amount of water and bake at 240 degrees C for 7 to 8 mins; set aside to cool.
• Remove nuts from shells.
• Place the chestnuts, milk and vanilla bean in a saucepan and heat to simmering.
• Simmer until all liquid has evaporated and chestnuts are tender.
• Rub the chestnuts through a sieve to puree.
• Remove from heat and let cool.
• Add Cognac or Brandy and blend until smooth.

CHESTNUT PURéE

Steps:

• Cook onion in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add chestnuts and stock and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.
• Purée mixture in batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and transfer to a small saucepan. Heat purée over moderate heat, stirring, until hot and season with salt and pepper.

PURéE DE CHâTAIGNES (CHESTNUT PURéE)

Steps:

• Tip the chestnuts into a saucepan with the milk and thyme. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 10-15 mins. The chestnuts are ready when they start to fall apart slightly when pricked with a fork.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small pan and fry the shallots over a medium heat until softened.
• Remove the thyme from the chestnuts and discard. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chestnuts to a food processor, then pour in 100ml of the poaching milk, reserving the rest. Add the fried shallots and crème fraîche, then blitz to a thick purée, adding more of the reserved poaching milk to loosen if needed. Season with salt and some white pepper to taste. To freeze, leave to cool fully, then seal in an airtight container and freeze for three weeks.
• Tip the purée back into the saucepan and cover to keep warm until you're ready to serve. If the purée needs reheating, add a splash of the reserved poaching milk and warm through over a low heat.