Castagna - Nutty for Chestnuts!

It seems that Tuscany never ceases to provide those of us lucky enough to travel here, or better yet, live here, with an ongoing range of delicious natural treats!

There is of course, the wine, the olive oil, the tomatoes that burst with delicious flavour, the incredible range of meats, truffles, and now... CHESTNUTS!

Living in Tuscany, we have wisely accumulated a group of friends who amongst them have olive groves, vineyards, and farms of various types. Regularly there are hunters, fishermen and truffle-hunters present at our dinner table too, and better yet, we are at theirs sometimes too!

Last week, a good family friend came around bearing the fruits of his labour from his Chestnut grove! He has spent the last few weekends steadfastly collecting them from their tree blossoms and so it was with great appreciation that we accepted a few kilos of his best selection!

After a lovely meal (featuring some truffles from a truffle hunt we did!), we sat around drinking the last of a bottle of (a friend's!) wine and prepared the chestnuts. Whilst the grill in the backyard was heating up, we risked our fingertips using sharp knives to cut slits into the shells of the chestnuts (to ensure they do not explode).

Once the heat was exactly right, the embers were the exact shade of deep orange, we started roasting the chestnuts, keeping our hands warm over the flames.

When they were ready, we took them back into the house and started the process of peeling them. If the chestnuts are not cooked exactly right, the inner skin, or pellicle, will not come away easily from the nut. Conversely, if they are over-cooked, the skin will fuse to the chestnut.

In the next few days, we experimented with the various other roasting techniques to see which gave the best results. In cutting the chestnuts, you can either form a slit in the top of the nut, or cut an x into the flat side (a little more risky for the fingers!). This is a very important step as if they are not cut, or the cut is not done correctly, pressure builds up inside the nut and they explode.

You can also boil them, in salted water for around 20-30 minutes depending on the nuts. In this case, no slitting is required.

In terms of roasting, you can either place them on a tray in the oven, or in a pan on the stove top. But in our unanimous opinion, nothing beats the taste of chestnuts roasted over an open flame.

Now that we are have resolved the argument of how to best cook the nuts, we have moved onto a new challenge... the best chestnut flour recipe!

So far, we have made the chestnut crepes, both savoury and sweet, as well as Il Castagnaccio, a delicious flan made with the chestnut flour. Of course, we had to have a random test-group of people to help us judge the result, so we invited along some olive-oil and wine producers, hunters, fishermen and truffle-hunters to share in the process...

Recipe for Chestnut Crepes Filled With Ricotta

These crepes are simple to make, and since it is the filling and not the crepes themselves that are sweet, you can have fun experimenting with various sweet and savoury fillings. Some ideas include making crepes filled with a mix of delicious sauteed wild mushrooms, with chicken liver patè served with a coating of avocado cream, or simply ham and cheese.

But we prefer sometimes to skip straight to dessert, so here is our wonderful Necci recipe:

Necci
Chestnut-flour Crepes filled with Ricotta

Serves 6

• 100 gr chestnut flour
• 4 eggs
• 250 ml milk
• 500 g sheep ricotta
• 100 g raisins
• 100 g sugar
• vanilla or chocolate cream
• mixed berries to garnish

Soak the raisins in warm water. In a bowl, whisk all of the crepe ingredients (flour, eggs, milk), making sure not to leave any lumps. You can also use electric beaters. Filter the mixture through a sieve and leave to sit for a approximately 30 minutes.

In a 15 cm hot, non-stick pan lightly wipe the bottom of with olive oil using some kitchen towel. Pour in a small amount of batter so as to cover the base of the pan. The crepes need to be very thin and as soon as the outer edge starts to lift up, they are ready to be turned over. The second side needs only a few seconds to cook.

Squeeze the water from the raisins,then mix with the ricotta and the sugar to make the filling. Using a spoon, place an even amount of the filling towards the base of the crepe, so as to form a thin line. You can then roll the crepes. Alternatively, place a generous dollop of the mixture on one half of the crepe and fold over to form a semi-circle. The vanilla or chocolate cream can then be poured over the crepes. Garnish with mixed berries or whichever sweet garnish you select.

Chestnut Festival in Prato: Sagra del Castagnaccio

Nothing tastes better than an Italian delicacy prepared by the best of the best, and in a traditional location. Italians know this better than anyone and so they host festivals throughout the year which are dedicated to various specific items.

On Sunday, 25 November 2009 the town of Prato is hosting a fair dedicated to the chestnut cake, Castagnaccio. Organised by a committee dedicated to ancient tastes of historical locations, the Antichi Borghi Antichi Sapori, the fair is to be held in the Prato town of Luicciana di Cantagallo. Aside from the Castagnaccio, other famous plates available will be typical dishes such as sweet polenta.

In order to keep in touch and updated on all our upcoming events and news, please join our facebook page click here and sign in you too will be a Good Tastes of Tuscany Fan