Stewed Chestnuts
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the chestnuts
Strip the outer rind from 40–50 fine Spanish chestnuts, place them in a large saucepan of hot water, and bring to a boil.
When the second skin separates, lift the chestnuts out and transfer them to plenty of cold water.
Peel the chestnuts and wipe them dry.
Stew and serve
Put the chestnuts into a stewpan or bright saucepan, adding enough cold beef or veal gravy to nearly cover them.
Stew the chestnuts gently for 45 minutes to 1 hour until they are tender but unbroken.
Add salt, cayenne, and thickening if required, and serve the chestnuts in their gravy.
Optional additions
(Optional) Flour and lightly brown the chestnuts in a little good butter before stewing, and add thin strips of fresh lemon rind to the gravy.
(Optional) For improved flavor, add a couple of bay leaves and a slice of lean ham under the chestnuts (do not serve the ham with them).
(Optional) To brown chestnuts, shake them with a small bit of butter in a frying pan over a gentle fire.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Chestnuts (in the method)
- Form the main body of the dish, becoming tender through gentle stewing while keeping their shape.
- Beef or veal gravy (in the method)
- Supplies the liquid and savory flavor that the chestnuts absorb as they stew.
The step that matters
Stew gently until tender but unbroken. A rolling boil can break the chestnuts apart, while gentle heat softens their starch slowly so they stay whole and tender.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.