Name: Velvety Chestnut Purée
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 400 g cooked chestnuts; 300 ml chicken stock; 100 ml heavy cream; 40 g unsalted butter; salt; white pepper; nutmeg

Equipment

Medium saucepan

High-speed blender

or Food processor (will require more sieving)

Fine-mesh sieve or Tamis

or Standard strainer (results will be less silky)

Rubber spatula

Ingredients

4 servings

Base

400 g cooked chestnuts, roasted and peeled
300 ml chicken stock
100 ml heavy cream, 35% fat or higher

Finishing

40 g unsalted butter, cold, cubed
salt
white pepper
nutmeg

Nutrition (per serving)

409

Calories

Protein

53g

Carbs

19g

Fat

Fiber

Sugar

451mg

Sodium

Method

In a medium saucepan, combine the cooked chestnuts and chicken stock. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simulate a braise for 15 minutes to thoroughly soften the chestnuts and infuse them with the savory stock flavor.

15mLook for: Chestnuts should be crumbling slightly at the edgesFeel: Very soft when pressed with a spoon

Pour the heavy cream into the saucepan. Increase heat slightly to bring back to a bare simmer (do not boil vigorously). Cook for another 3-5 minutes to marry the flavors.

Transfer the entire contents of the saucepan (chestnuts and liquid) to a high-speed blender. Blend on high until completely smooth. Caution: Vent the blender lid to allow steam to escape to prevent pressure buildup.

2mLook for: Mixture should be uniform and beige/light brown

For a Michelin-level texture, pass the purée through a fine-mesh sieve or tamis back into the cleaned saucepan. Use a rubber spatula to push the mixture through, discarding any fibrous skins or grainy bits left in the mesh.

Feel: Resulting puree is perfectly smooth

Place the saucepan over very low heat. Whisk in the cold cubed butter piece by piece to mount the purée, adding shine and richness. Season with salt, white pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg to taste. Serve warm.

Chef's Notes

Using vacuum-packed roasted chestnuts is preferred over canned chestnuts in syrup or water, as they have a deeper flavor and better texture for savory applications.
The 'mounting' with cold butter at the end (monter au beurre) is essential for a glossy finish and a rounded mouthfeel; do not skip this step.
This purée pairs exceptionally well with game meats like venison or duck, as well as roast turkey or chicken.
If using fresh chestnuts, you must score, roast, peel, and remove the inner fuzzy skin (pellicle) completely before starting step 1, which adds significant prep time.