Chestnuts (Continued - 2)

Cooking With Fresh Chestnuts

Confit fresh chestnuts with vegetables, full of flavours, delicious dish based on Joël Robuchon recipe.  As the book says that this dish has a layer of flavour, reinforcing a dish with both a cooked and a raw version of the ingredients.  The fresh fennel bulb is prepared with the chestnuts, and then the fragrant fennel fronds are sprinkled on top, as an encore of flavour (Cuisine Actuelle)

Shelled Fresh Chestnuts

Boiled and skinned chestnuts are ready for further cooking

Recipe based on  Joël Robuchon

I simplified the method and steps of the cooking process, also modified the ingredients.

Method

1. Take the chestnuts from the refrigerator (clean and ready to use: re the previous post)
2. Cook the onion, blanch them in salted water for two minutes, drain and set a side. Use a heavy based pot, cook the onion, butter-15g, and the sugar, over low heat, cover until the onions are tender about 18 minutes. Stir the onions occasionally to prevent from browning, drain and set aside.
3. In a large heavy based pot melt remaining butter over high heat, when it is hot add in the chestnuts and cook to even golden brown and soft for 13 minutes.  Add in the chicken stock and the bouquet garni, cook and bring to boil over high heat.
4. Braise the chestnut, uncover until chestnuts dry out (the chestnuts absorbed all liquid)
5. Meanwhile, return the onions to low heat, stir in the fennel and shallots and cook until softened about 7 minutes.  Add the walnuts and cook just until heated through about 1 minute.  Remove the bouquet garni
6. When the chestnuts have absorbed most of the liquid, add the onion mixture.  Transfer to a large warm bowl to serve.  Garnish with fennel fronds.

Preparation   and  to cook the confit

fennel, walnuts, chestnuts

small onions and thinly sliced fennel

(I could not find the pearl onion, thinly sliced fennel instead

of fennel julienne)

bouquet garni: thyme and celery leaves

shallots and bouquet garni

the ingredients: chestnuts, onion, fennel, walnut, shallot

butter, chicken stock, bouquet garni

cooking the onion with butter and sugar, after being blanched 

in salted water

after 16 minutes cooking, onions are sweet and soft

beautiful colour, golden brownish

roasting chestnuts in butter, before adding the 

chicken stock, the chestnuts are evenly brown

braising the thinly sliced fennel with shallots

return the onions to low heat,  add in shallots, walnuts 

Then the cook braised fennel.  Add in all the above to

the cooked braised chestnuts, add the salt, toss them together

The finished dish, delicious confit fresh chestnuts, Fennel and onions

garnished with green and brown fennel fronds.

It is excellent to garnish for poultry dishes, or have it as a vegetarian meal, serve it with pasta.
  
I bought the shelled fresh chestnuts. I boiled them to remove the tough outer shells and thin brown inner skin instead of deep-frying them.  I modified the process to suit me better. It turns out well, I do hope it is as good as the original dish.

It was a lot of work, but some of the preparation was done the day before, so the actual cooking was not too bad.  I am glad that I did it.

Until Next Post, Thank You For Visiting My Blog

Susy