Last Saturday, I came across a gathering of people outside a fruit shop on Andingmen nei. Their mission became clear once I detected the sweet smoky whiff of roasting chestnuts. I joined the crowd and despite there being at least a month until Christmas, found myself crooning a Nat King Cole rendition as I munched my way through a bag. Oh dear.
In Europe and America, sweet chestnuts are most certainly a festive ingredient, used widely in Christmas and Thanksgiving dishes. They are excellent in stuffing, and can be used to replace more fattening ingredients due to their moist texture. I like this Mary Berry recipe: Boil 225g chopped dried apricots and 1 diced onion in a little water for 5 minutes and drain. Fry 225g pre-boiled chopped chestnuts in a knob of butter, then add these to the apricots and onions, and mix in 225g fresh white bread crumbs and some chopped parsley. Season well and bake for 25 minutes at 200 degrees celsius. Sweet chestnuts also work well braised with brussel sprouts and bacon. Pieno di natali is a dense, slow cooked Italian Christmas dessert of sweet chestnuts, dried fruits and nuts, Tuscan bread, grated apple and spices -- lovely with a drop of Italian dessert wine.
Marron Glac, sweet chestnuts candied and glazed in sugar syrup, are a delicious renowned French delicacy synonymous with the company Clement Faugir which have been turning them out since the late 1800s. These can be served on their own or with a little fresh whipped cream; they are also fantastic incorporated into cakes and desserts. In Beijing, the delicatessen Fauchon in Shin Kong Place sells its own version. You can also experiment with making your own. This is a drawn out but satisfying process involving bouts of boiling and cooling the chestnuts in sugar syrup over a period of days.
In Asia, the Japanese also use chestnuts in festive dishes such as Kurikinton, a dessert of sweet chestnuts, sweet potato and mirin eaten at New Year. In China at this time of year, sweet chestnuts are chiefly consumed as a warming snack, and there are numerous stalls outside subway stations and on street corners. They are sometimes used in savory dishes such as li zi ji, stir-fried chicken with chestnuts, or stewed with pork, li zi hong shao rou. For something sweeter, you can try li zi geng, which is a pureed sweet chestnut dessert.
When buying raw chestnuts, you need to store them in the fridge because of their high moisture content. You can then either simmer them whole in boiling water for around 20 mins, or roast them for about 20mins. If roasting, make sure you pierce their shells first as they are prone to explode in the oven -- I speak from experience. Dried chestnuts need soaking for at least 1-2 hours and boiling for 45-60 minutes. Sweet chestnuts are not true nuts, and as such have a very different nutritional profile. They are much lower in fat (1g/100g) and protein (4.2g/100g), but are high in carbohydrate (50g/100g), consequently the calorie count is lower (220kcal/100g). Really they should be thought of as a substitute for grains and other starches in cooking. They contain reasonable amounts of vitamin C, score well on the B vitamins especially for heart-healthy folate. Additionally, they are high in potassium, magnesium and copper. With 6g fiber per half cup, they will contribute to keeping your bowels nice and healthy.
This nutrition-related column is written by Nina Lenton, a qualified dietitian living in Beijing and working at Bayley and Jackson Medical Center. Contact her at nina.lenton@ikang.com
(China Daily 11/21/2007 page14)
