The finished product. (Photo courtesy of Petty Elliot)
Chestnuts are shiny brown nuts with a thick shell, and although not common in Indonesian cooking, they are grown locally and known as buah berangan . Chestnuts have a higher starch and water content than most other nuts.
Roasting chestnuts on an open fire or in the oven is the classic way to eat them, but is not as easy as it sounds. There is every chance of ending up with a case of barbecued or roasted sausage or chicken syndrome — as in, burnt on the outside and raw in the middle. I find it helps to parboil the chestnuts then roast.
It is best to make a slit with a sharp bread knife along the round side of each chestnut. Then put the chestnuts in a pan, cover the chestnuts with water and bring to simmer, strain then place the chestnuts on an oven tray and cook in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.
Remove the chestnuts from the oven, and cover with tea towel for around 15 minutes. You will have perfect roasted chestnuts without going through a complicated peeling process.
I was so excited to buy a bag of fresh chestnuts the other day. They are wonderful and versatile seasonal ingredients in European cuisine in all manner of recipes, both savory and sweet, from chestnut soup and stuffing to chestnut cake and tarts.
Chestnuts are delicious as is, but also make a perfect combination when cooked with poultry and pork. They are also full of goodness. Chestnuts contain no cholesterol, no gluten, very little fat, and retain a significant amount of vitamin C after cooking.
Chestnut, herb and apple soup
For this week’s recipe, I present chestnut soup with fragrant herbs and chopped fresh apple. This is a perfect dish as a starter for any dinner party, especially Christmas lunch or dinner. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients:
80 gr unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil; 2 onions, finely chopped; 300 gr fresh chestnuts, follow the cooking instruction above and roughly chopped; 2 celery sticks, finely chopped; 1/2 teaspoon each of fresh thyme, sage and rosemary, finely chopped; 1 liter water or homemade vegetables stock; 200 ml cream; 2 large sweet apples, peeled and chopped into small squares; salt and black pepper to taste; chopped parsley or celery leaves, finely chopped for garnish.
Directions:
1. Melt half of the butter and add the olive oil in the frying pan and add the onion and celery and saute gently for about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time until soft and translucent.
2. Add the chopped chestnuts and herbs. Add the stock and cook for around 30 minutes, season with salt and black pepper. Turn the heat off and set aside to slightly cool.
3. Pour the mixture into the blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
4. Transfer the mixture into a new pan and bring to simmer. Add the cream and turn the heat to low.
5. In the mean time, saute the apple with the remaining butter for around 4-5 minutes or until just tender. Season with salt and black pepper.
6. Check the final seasoning of the mixture. If the texture is too thick, add a little bit more water or stock and adjust the seasoning.
7. Divide the mixture into 4 or 6 individual soup bowls, drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon cream for each bowl and add the cooked apple on top and sprinkle with some chopped parsley. Serve hot.
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