Making chestnut puree is fun! To make this smooth chestnut puree, go to the forest to collect fresh chestnuts. Of course, you can also make this recipe with store-bought chestnuts or even pre-cooked chestnuts! This chestnut puree is perfect as a side for your next festive dinner.
Wild picking: how to recognize chestnuts?
If you pick chestnuts for this recipe, be sure that you are picking sweet chestnuts. and not horse chestnuts. Horse chestnuts can give you a severe stomach ache. Fortunately, both species are easy to recognize:
Horse chestnuts are completely round and come in a husk with short, thick spines reasonably far apart. Sweet chestnuts are flat on one side and have a tip at the top. The husk is a whole of thin spines that are very close together.
If you gather wild chestnuts, you will need about half a kilogram of unpeeled sweet chestnuts for this recipe.
Ingredients for this chestnut puree recipe
Chestnuts - use sweet chestnuts as described. In autumn, you can find them in the forest, but well-stocked (foreign) supermarkets also sell them.
Milk - After pre-cooking and peeling, cook the chestnuts again in milk. You can use milk or a plant based alternative. The nutty taste of almond milk goes well with chestnuts!
Cinnamon - cinnamon sticks are a must to give the puree a nice and warm flavor.
Salt - a little salt enhances flavor and peps up your chestnut puree!
Top tip: use a vanilla pod or some nutmeg to bring some flavor to the puree if you don't have cinnamon sticks on hand.
How do I get smooth chestnut puree?
It isn't easy to get the puree completely smooth. After pureeing, I rub the puree through a fine sieve. Any remnants of the husks and chunks of chestnut that are not fully pureed are left in the sieve. This guarantees a velvety, smooth chestnut puree!
What to serve with chestnut puree?
This festive side dish does an excellent job as a side dish during Christmas dinner, along with this maple glazed pumpkin and some cranberry compote for example. It tastes great with meat such as chicken, hareback or venison steak. For a veggie option, serve sautéed mushrooms alongside the puree.
Storage and preparation
Keep in mind that it takes an hour to prepare the chestnut puree. However, you can pre-cook and peel the chestnuts a day in advance. Then, you cook and mash them on the day itself.
The puree will keep for a day or two. Any leftovers should be stored in a tightly sealed refrigerator container.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, pre-cooked or canned chestnuts work perfectly for this recipe and save a lot of time and effort. You'll need about 350 grams of pre-cooked chestnuts.
You can substitute milk with plant-based alternatives like almond milk for a nutty flavor or oat milk for a more creamy texture.
If you prefer a sweeter puree, add a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup to the puree.
Chestnut puree
Equipment
- saucepan
- food processor
- sieve
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh chestnuts (500 gr, or use 2 cups / 350 gr precooked chestnuts*)
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- salt
Instructions
- Use a knife to make a cross on the bottom of each chestnut. The deeper the cuts, the easier it will be to peel them later. Please be careful doing this!
- Put the chestnuts in a saucepan and fill it with water until the chestnuts are just covered. Boil them for 20 minutes, drain, and let them cool slightly.
- Now peel the chestnuts. Remove as much of the skin as possible.
- Put the chestnuts back in the pan, add the milk, cinnamon sticks, and some salt. Cook the chestnuts for another 20 minutes.
- Put everything (except the cinnamon sticks) in a food processor and grind as smoothly as possible. If the puree is not smooth enough, add some more milk.
- Rub the chestnut puree through a fine sieve for an extra smooth puree (this step is optional but recommended).
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