Recipe#8978

Title: Chestnut Puree

Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking 
 From: beakman@netcom.com (Beakman) 
 Message-ID: beakmanE024q5.Jv5@netcom.com 
 Date: Tue, 29 Oct 1996 21:51:40 GMT 

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.  
 Try it!  It is one of the most delicate and fine desserts you're likely 
 to come across.