Chestnut craziness

Cholesterol free and relatively low in calories, this nut is incredibly versatile and simple to prepare

Guide to chestnut preparation

sponge fingers)

400 ml water

4 tbs cocoa powder, plus 1 tsp for dusting

Put 8 peeled chestnuts aside and thinly slice them.

Place the rest in a small pot with milk, brown sugar and vanilla essence. Simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes until chestnuts become very soft. Remove from heat and place aside to cool.

Place in a preheated 180°C oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Slice each chestnut into 5-6 slices. Plate by stacking cubes of pumpkin in a pile on each plate, spoon ricotta around and scatter the sliced chestnuts on top. Use the sage leaves as garnish and any pan juices over the top as dressing. Finish by sprinkling sesame seeds over.

Serves 6 as a first course.

Score chestnuts by cutting a small x on the flat side with the tip of a sharp knife

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When ready, place nuts in a clean tea towel. Wrap them up for five minutes. Giving them a little squeeze will make them easier to peel.

Once cool place in a food processor and blend till smooth. It may be necessary to add 3-4 tbs more of milk to get a creamy consistency.

Beat the egg yolks and caster sugar together until the mixture becomes pale.

Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until they form fluffy peaks.

Mix the yolk and sugar mixture together with the mascarpone, and then fold the whites in gradually.

Mix 4 tbs of cocoa powder with 100 ml of water to make it easier to dissolve, then add remaining 300 ml.

Hearty Chicken with chestnuts and

mushrooms

250 g fresh chestnuts (or 200 g frozen peeled chestnuts)

8 dried shiitake mushrooms

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

3cm-long pieces of ginger, peeled and cut into thin slices

1 onion, peeled, cut in half and then cut into ¼ cm wedges

8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on 8 chicken drumsticks, bone in, skin on

5 tbs dark soy sauce

125 ml dry sherry

1 tbs caster sugar

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Some recipes call for chestnuts to be grilled and others boiled. Both are easy.

If grilling:

Place on a tray under a moderate to hot grill for about 10-15 minutes depending on their size. Parts of them will burn and go black. DonPt worry, this is just the outer shell.

If boiling:

Place in boiling water and cook until tender, if in doubt cut one in half to check it is cooked through.

Despite being grown in Australia for over 150 years, Australians are still confused by how to prepare chestnuts, and a third of the population has never tasted them. Crazy right?

“I grew up eating chestnuts, and despite what some people think, they’re incredibly versatile and simple to prepare,” says chef Stefano Manfredi, of Osteria Balla Manfredi at The Star and Manfredi at Bells restaurant at Killcare.

Manfredi has created three new simple recipes to reveal the versatility of this magnificent ingredient to Australian home cooks.

Chestnuts are cholesterol free

St E p 4 and relatively low in calories compared to many other nuts and seeds. For example, roasted chestnuts have half the calories of roasted cashews. They’re also low GI, which means the body digests them slowly, keeping you satiated for longer.

Unwrap and peel both the outer shell and the pellicle (the extra layer between outer shell and nut) off.

Some recipes don’t require the nut to be whole, in which case, cut the chestnut in half (in shell) and use a teaspoon to scoop of out the flesh.

Traditionally thought of as a winter food, the Australian season actually begins in March.

Chestnuts are a fantastic allround ingredient. They are delicious sliced into salads or boiled as an alternative to pasta or potatoes. Chestnut puree also lends itself beautifully to desserts like tiramisu, tortes and cakes,” he says.

Chestnuts are an excellent source of vitamin C, folate, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and potassium. Chestnut flour and meal are gluten free and suitable for those with intolerance and coeliac disease.

With all recipes to follow, make sure that you use the guide for chestnut preparation using the boiling method.

Creamy Chestnut

Tiramisu

500 g fresh chestnuts (or 350g frozen peeled)

250 ml milk

3 tbs brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

3 eggs, separated

100 g caster sugar

300 g mascarpone

32 Savoiardi biscuits (Italian

Soak the Savoiardi in the chocolate water, dipping them two at a time for a second on each side, then arrange a layer of 8 soaked biscuits on the bottom of a high-sided ceramic container around 16cm square.

Spread on a layer of the mascarpone and then dollop on some chestnut puree, spreading with a spatula. Repeat the process until all the biscuits and mascarpone have been used up, finishing with a layer of mascarpone on top. Scatter the sliced chestnuts over and sprinkle with remaining cocoa powder.

Serves 10-12.

Easy roast chestnut, pumpkin and ricotta salad

300 g fresh chestnuts

(or equivalent frozen, peeled fresh)

500 g Queensland Blue pumpkin or similar

½ cup fresh sage leaves

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 tbs roasted sesame seeds

150 g fresh ricotta

Salt and pepper

Peel and deseed pumpkin and cut into roughly 2cm cubes.

Place pumpkin, peeled chestnuts and sage in a baking dish. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.

2 pinches salt

1 whole star anise

½ tsp cracked pepper

250 ml water

Cut chestnuts in half and reserve. Place dried mushrooms in a bowl of hot water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain, remove stem, cut each mushroom in half and reserve.

Heat a large, heavy pot and add oil. When it begins to smoke, add ginger and onion. Stir for 15 seconds and then add chicken thighs and drumsticks. Keep turning chicken until skin is golden making sure onions and ginger doesn’t burn.

Add soy sauce, half the sherry, sugar and salt. Stir well so the soy has completely coloured the chicken. Add the star anise, pepper and the water and stir well.

Turn down to a simmer and place a lid on the pot. Keep simmering for 15 minutes occasionally turning the chicken.

Add the remaining sherry, the chestnuts and the mushrooms. Mix in, cover and simmer gently for another 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes then serve with steamed rice.

Serves 8.

Stefano Manfredi,

www.chestnutaustralia.com.au