Saturday, November 26, 2011

Chestnut Puree Recipe

Chestnut Puree Recipe looks to be similar to that at Cafe Kor




Chestnut Puree



1 1/2 pounds chestnuts
milk as needed
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
rum to taste
1 pint whipping cream for topping

Put chestnuts in a large saucepan and cover with water. Boil for
10 minutes. Remove outer and inner peel from chestnuts. Take only
a few out of the water at a time as they are easier to peel when
warm. I actually cut the nuts in half and scoop out the meat with
a nut pick.

Put the chestnut meat into a saucepan, cover with milk and simmer
until the chestnut meat is soft enough to easily mash and the milk
is absorbed.

Press the chestnuts through a sieve (though you might also try a
food processor).

Boil the sugar and water to make a thick syrup (don't brown).

Immedieately add to the chestnuts and cool. Add only enough liquid
so that the chestnuts can be put through a potato ricer and still
hold their shape.

Add the vanilla and rum. My favorite rum for this purpose is
somewhat hard to find, and not available everywhere. It is called
"Stroh" and it is from Austria. Technically, it is a "tea rum"
and it is *amazing*! Incredible butterscotch-like aroma and flavor.

Put the chilled mixture through the potato ricer, making a small
mound in the center of individual dessert plates. Top with the
whipped cream. I sweeten my whipped cream slightly and add a bit
of vanilla too. You should balance the sweetness of the whipped
cream to act as a counterpoint to the chestnut puree (i.e. sweeter
puree = less sweet whipped cream, less sweet puree = sweeter whipped
cream). The lightness of the whipped cream will also cut the
incredible richness of the puree