No-Peel Chestnut Purée

By Michael Tortorello

Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
4(12)
Comments
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What makes peeling a chestnut so hard is the pellicle, the unpalatable inner skin that clings to the involutions in the nutmeat, said Nancy Petitt, an owner of Delmarvelous Chestnuts in Townsend, Del. A chief virtue of many domestic chestnut cultivars, Ms. Petitt added, is that the “bitter peel stays attached to the shell, instead of the nut.” So, no imports. At home, snip the chestnuts in half, on the horizontal axis, with kitchen shears. Next, place them in a colander and immerse in boiling water. After 3 or 4 minutes, the shells should bubble to the surface. Now the nuts can be boiled until crumbly (about 15 minutes) or moved to the oven. This technique could not be easier, except when it fails. In that event, leave the nuts boiling for 10 minutes total. At this point, the shells and skins should easily slip off. Plan B is to roast the nuts. Score the flat side with an X and place nuts, cut side down, in a glass baking dish. Pour ¼ inch of water into the bottom, and roast the nuts for 15 to 20 minutes in a 375-degree oven. To peel (while hot), pinch the sides gently.

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Ingredients

Yield:1½ cups

    For the Look, Ma, No Peeling! Chestnut Purée

    • 2full cups (12 ounces) chestnuts, in shell
    • ½cup heavy cream
    • 1tablespoon butter
    • 2tablespoons chestnut or buckwheat honey (optional)
    • Salt
    • pepper to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

200 calories; 10 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 179 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. For the Look, Ma, No Peeling! Chestnut Purée

    1. Step 1

      Set oven to 375 degrees, and bring a large pot of water to a boil.

    2. Step 2

      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.

    3. Step 3

      Transfer nuts to a glass baking dish filled with ¼ 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.)

    4. Step 4

      Pour chestnuts into a food processor with cream, butter and ½ 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, ⅛ cup at a time, until the consistency seems pleasing.

    5. Step 5

      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.

    6. Step 6

      Add salt and pepper to taste; serve hot.

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4 out of 5
12 user ratings
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Comments

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goodnightmoom

This way of peeling the chestnuts was really effective. It is now my go to. The puree is also really good. I had 10x the chestnuts so I did experiment a bit after the first batch. 1st I cut out the pepper. 2nd I found I didn't want to taste the butter so I cut the butter back to 1/2 tablespoon. Then I got the bit of creamy fat without tasting butter. 3rd I made a couple batches sweetened with honey and vanilla extract. Not to much. They merged so nicely with the chestnut sweetness.

Lysa

This technique to shell the chestnuts is life changing!!!

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