Chestnut cream: recipe to enjoy this autumn puree

The last days of september announce the arrival to the markets of one of the stars of autumn gastronomy: the chestnut

For a few months, and especially around All Saints’ Day, it will become the occasional treat for many, though as tasty and very nutritious food that temporary attention seems little.

In other timesMore fairly, its many properties led to its being known as “the bread of the poor” and constituted a mainstay of peasant food.

Rich in slow absorption carbohydrates (41%), that provide energy in a prolonged and gradual way, the chestnut also stands out for its mineral content (it is rich in potassium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus) and in vitamins: 100 grams provide a quarter of the recommended daily amounts of vitamins B1, B6 and Eand almost half of the vitamin C necessary daily, although a part is lost when cooking them.

chestnut properties

The chestnut is often considered a dry fruit but it is closer to cereals due to its richness in starch and its low fat content (2%).

In fact, it is so rich in starch that in times of scarcity some peasant towns have come to make bread with their flour. It rises little and is less digestible than that of cereals but in Corsica it came to replace that of wheat.

on this island, chestnuts are still present in a wide variety of recipes, whether boiled or pureed or served with other appetizers.

Here we usually eat them simply roasted in a panbut it is worth exploring other culinary possibilities.

How to make pureed chestnuts

To prepare a puree, Boil the chestnuts for about five minutes, with a small incision at the top to prevent them from bursting with heat.Drain and, still hot, peel them easily.Bring to a boil again in water with some fennel seeds for half an hour until softened. Drain, go through the mill and add almond milk until a homogeneous cream is obtained.

cooked chestnuts

They can also be tasted boiled and accompanied by mushrooms or leeks..

Of all the possible preparations with chestnuts, there is also an exquisite one that allows you to escape from your image of food for the poor: the marron glacé, a chestnut wrapped in a film of sugar which gives it a glossy varnish.

To better digest chestnuts…

Chestnuts should be chewed slowly not only to better appreciate its flavor but also so that its starch is well salivated and predicted in such a way that it can be later assimilated without difficulty.

Roasting or cooking chestnuts also makes work easier for the stomachwho prefers them like this instead of raw.