Chataigne. Kastanie.

No. 487. - The Chestnut is the fruit of the chestnut tree. It contains a large proportion of sugary matter, and is eaten either green or roasted. It is used as a garniture with braized meats, and can be added to all kinds of forced meats and to stuffing for turkeys, capons, geese, and chickens. Confectioners use chestnuts to a large extent. They rarely keep through the season. All first-class grocers keep them in a preserved state.

Soup-Puree Of Chestnuts

No. 488. - Roast six dozen large chestnuts, and then put them in boiling water to peel off the inner skin. Put them in the saucepan, with enough broth to cover them. Cover the pan and let them cook slowly until tender, and then rub them through a fine sieve. Put them back in the saucepan and add one gallon of thickened chicken or veal broth. Set it on the fire and stir it with a wooden spoon until it boils. Then add a glass of Madeira wine and season to taste. Set it on the side of the fire to boil slowly for half an hour and then skim it well. Then strain it through a fine sieve, after which put it back in a saucepan to keep warm. When ready to serve it add a piece of butter and a garniture of asparagus tops.

Soup-Cream Of Chestnuts, Hunter's Style

No. 489. - Prepare the Chestnuts as in No. 488. Put them in a saucepan with a piece of butter and moisten with enough broth to cook them. Then rub them through a fine sieve. Put this puree in a saucepan with one gallon of thickened game broth. Mix it well, stirring it until it boils, and season it to taste. Let it boil slowly for twenty minutes and then take off the grease. Strain it into another saucepan through a fine sieve. When ready to serve put six ounces of butter and six ounces of puree of partridge (diluted with the yolks of six raw eggs, and a pint of cream), into another saucepan and then pour the puree in slowly while stirring it. Care must be taken not to let it boil or else it will curdle.

Soup Garbure With Chestnuts, Polignac

No. 490. - Peel three dozen large Chestnuts, then pour over them some boiling water to peel off the inner skin. Line the bottom of a saucepan with thin slices of fat pork, put on top of this three pounds of veal trimmings. Add three raw onions, in which stick six cloves, then add three carrots, a faggot of parsley garnished with celery, in which tie two bay leaves and a few grains of pepper. Lay the Chestnuts over this and cover the whole with thin slices of fat pork. Moisten this with good broth, to cover it, and let it simmer until well cooked. Then take out the Chestnuts and split each one in half. Then put in a deep baking dish a layer of thin slices of toasted bread, then a layer of the Chestnuts, and keep on alternating this way until the dish is full. Strain the broth that the Chestnuts were cooked in, and pour some over it and set it in an oven to gratinate. Serve with a soup tureen of good consomme.

Puree Of Chestnuts

No. 491. - Peel two pounds of Chestnuts, and pour over them some lightly salted boiling water, to peel off the inner skin. Then put them in a saucepan with a piece of butter, and toss them over the fire a few minutes. Then moisten them with a glass of white wine and some broth. Cover the saucepan and let them cook until tender. Then take them all out and pound them through a colander, and rub them through a fine seive. Put the puree in a saucepan to keep warm, and before serving add a piece of butter and a soup-spoonful of meat glaze. This may be served as a garniture. When served as a vegetable, garnish the puree with sausages chipolata.

Glazed Chestnuts

No. 492. - Roast two pounds of Chestnuts; peel them and remove the inner skin. Put them in a frying-pan with half a pint of water and two ounces of sugar. Let them boil until the moisture is reduced and the chestnuts are nicely glazed. Add the juice of a lemon, and toss them over well. Then roll them lightly in powdered sugar.