Chestnuts En Casserole

Ingredients

• 3 cup chestnuts
• 3 cup chicken stock, highly seasoned
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1.5 tbsp flour

Method

Blanch the chestnuts whole in boiling salted water for two minutes, then shock them in ice water. The heat loosens the inner skin without cooking the nut itself. Peel away both the outer shell and the bitter tan membrane underneath — this is tedious but non-negotiable; the membrane turns bitter and grainy in the pot. You'll lose about a third of the weight to shells and skin. Halve any large nuts so they cook evenly.

This is a braising operation. Heat your casserole on the stovetop and add the peeled chestnuts with the highly seasoned stock — the liquid should just cover them. Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to a 160°C oven for two to three hours. The low, moist heat converts the chestnuts' starches into something tender and yielding without collapsing them to mush. Check at the two-hour mark: the nuts should yield to a knife point but still hold their shape. The stock will reduce by a quarter to a third and deepen in colour as the nuts release their oils and starches.

While the braise finishes, make your stock-thickening liaison. Mash the butter and flour together on the work surface — this is a beurre manié — until you have a smooth paste. This method of thickening distributes the flour without lumping, which matters when you're working with a simmering liquid. Pull the casserole from the oven and set it on the stovetop over medium heat. Pinch off small pieces of the beurre manié and whisk them in one at a time, waiting for each addition to fully incorporate before the next. The starch gelatinises at around 65°C, thickening the sauce to a light, creamy coat that clings to each chestnut without becoming gluey.

Taste and correct the seasoning — the long braise mellows the stock's initial seasoning — then serve directly from the casserole. The warmth of the dish matters as much as the contents; have your serving bowls heated.