Brandied Apple & Currant Crumb Tart

I noticed I hadn't posted a Thanksgiving dessert yet this month...a serious omission. At the Thanksgiving meals of my childhood, dessert meant only pie. Recently I have taken to squeezing in the occasional tart. For a few years, I prepared our family's traditional mincemeat as a tart instead of a pie. This is more in keeping with the way I had seen mincemeat served while in England and the mincemeat lovers in my family did not object. Since my family is seriously grounded in their traditions, I'll take this as an indication that even traditionalists who are looking for a new recipe for apple pie this year would enjoy making and serving my Brandied Apple & Currant Crumb Tart for Thanksgiving.

A few years ago when my friend Nancy invited me to her home for Thanksgiving, I made this tart for dessert. It seemed to me that it was very well-received. I liked it so much I wrote down the recipe so I could make it again...and possibly teach it. When I was putting together an Autumn Desserts class a couple of years ago, it was one of the first desserts I thought of.  I was reminded of the tart last week during a day spent cooking with Nancy.  She had asked me to help with a large event she was working on.  We were preparing—among other things—some beautiful little apple streusel tartlets that she had developed. 

The apple filling that I use in the tart that I make is adapted from a recipe in Simply French by Patricia Wells. It is a bit unusual in that the apples are sautéed over high heat before they are put in the tart shell. The high heat encourages the apples to caramelize

and also causes the juices given off by the apples to evaporate (it is important to choose a pan large enough to hold the apples in a snug single layer in order to accomplish both of these things). The resulting filling has a wonderful caramelized apple flavor. And since there isn't an abundance of liquid, a thickener—which can mute the apple flavor—isn't required. The clear apple flavor of the tart filling is accentuated by the addition of a generous amount of Calvados-soaked currants. I love the flavors in this tart...there is something particularly holiday-festive about it.

Because all of the components of the tart—crust, filling and streusel—can be made ahead, it makes a perfect holiday dessert for the cook. The tart itself could probably be made the day before, but once all of the components are made, assembling and baking the tart is very fast and easy. Pies and tarts really do taste best when served the same day they are baked.

The most difficult thing about making the tart—and it's only difficult if you aren't familiar with the technique—is making the clarified butter to sauté the apples. Besides butterfat, butter contains milk solids, whey and water. Whole butter is not used for high heat cooking because the milk solids burn almost immediately when they come into contact with high heat. In order to be able to use butter for sautéing you must get rid of everything but the butterfat. To do this, place the butter in a saucepan—something with a small diameter is best. Melt it over medium heat. When the butter is completely melted, remove it from the heat and skim off the foam that has risen to the surface.

At this point, you can ladle the clear butterfat off of the whey remaining in the bottom of the pan. Or—and this is a bit unorthodox, but it works well for me for small amounts of butter—you can return the butter to medium or medium-low heat. The water will percolate off as the butter continues to heat—you will hear it popping and snapping. When the popping stops, immediately spoon or pour the butterfat off into another container—if you allow the butterfat to continue to sit on the heat, you will get some unwanted browning (possibly burning) of the whey and any remaining milk solids. A stick of butter will produce about 6 tablespoons of clarified butter. For those who are interested in a clear presentation of the classic method for clarifying butter, it is done very well (with great pictures) on David Lebovitz's Blog.

As you look at the pictures in my post today, it will be obvious that I didn't make a 9-inch round tart (as described in the recipe). I made two 4-inch by 13 1/2-inch rectangular tarts. One and one half times the filling and streusel recipes given below will make two rectangular tarts. One recipe of the crust is just enough for two of these rectangular tarts (I mention in a note below the recipe that the crust recipe is more than enough for a nine inch round tart). I really like the look of the tart in its rectangular form. It is a bit unusual, but more importantly, it is much more conducive to creating small portions. And since almost everyone at the Thanksgiving feast usually requests "a sliver of both" when presented with a choice of pies, being able to cut nice looking small portions is a good thing.

Brandied Apple & Currant Crumb Tart

2/3 cup dried currants
2 T. Calvados (or Brandy or cider)
2 to 2 ½ lb. Golden Delicious apples (5 or 6 large), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 T. clarified butter
1/4 c. sugar
1 9-inch sweet tart dough shell, unbaked (recipe below)
1 recipe streusel crumb topping (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 375°. Adjust the oven rack to the lowest setting. In a small bowl, toss the currants with the Calvados, set aside.

In a sauté pan large enough to hold the apples in a snug single layer, heat the clarified butter over high heat. Add the apples and sauté, tossing frequently, until tender and golden brown—about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over; toss and cook briefly until the apples are glazed. Add the currants and Calvados and toss again (most of the unabsorbed Calvados will boil off immediately). Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. The apples should be moist, but not soupy.

Place the chilled tart shell on a baking sheet. Scrape the fruit into the tart shell, spreading evenly, and top with the streusel—the fruit should be fully covered.


 Bake until the streusel is golden brown and the sides of the tart shell are golden (push up on the bottom of the tart to check this)—about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool an hour or two before serving. Dredge with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Streusel Crumb Topping:
2/3 c. flour
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
4 T. cold unsalted butter

Combine flour, sugars, and spices. Add the butter. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture appears sandy & is homogeneous.

Sweet Tart Dough:
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
6 T. granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 t. vanilla
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 cake flour

Briefly cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the egg yolk and the vanilla. Add the flours and mix until well combined--it may still be in "clumps". Form the dough into a thick disk. Use immediately, or wrap in plastic and chill or freeze. Let the dough soften before rolling out.

On a lightly floured board (or between 2 sheets of plastic wrap), roll dough out to a thickness of 1/8-inch. Brush off the excess flour and transfer the dough to a greased tart pan. Ease the dough into the pan being careful not to stretch it and pressing it against the sides of the tart pan. Use your hands or the rolling pin to gently cut the dough flush with the upper rim of the tart pan.  Do not worry if the dough breaks or crumbles as you put it into the pan.  The dough patches very easily.

 Note: This amount of dough is enough for 1 ½ 9-inch tarts. I generally make up a double batch and divide it into 3 disks of dough. Freeze the disks that you don’t need.

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An Anniversary and a Green Bean Casserole



Nine years ago today I taught my first cooking class. At the time I was working as an on-call assistant chef at The Culinary Center of Kansas City. The owner approached me and asked if I would consider teaching a cooking class. It was not something I had thought about, but since I was looking for ways to expand my professional career outside the bounds of the restaurant kitchen, I agreed to give it a try. As I think about it now, I am astonished at how radically this decision altered my life. Teaching cooking classes now makes up a good portion of my work. Even this blog was started as an extension of and support for my classes.

I have never taken too much notice of this anniversary.  I am always vaguely aware that this is the time of year when I first took the plunge—my first class was a Thanksgiving class. The class was a primer of sorts for those who wanted to cook the holiday meal, but had no idea how to organize the food preparation schedule. It was called "Don't Let the Turkeys Get You Down" and was so well-received that it became an annual staple as long as I was at The Culinary Center.  Some years we even offered two sessions. Fear and trembling are apparently a perennial problem as new generations of cooks face the daunting task of preparing the Thanksgiving spread.

The reason that I thought about this anniversary this year is that I finally decided to develop a recipe for Green Bean Casserole to teach in my new Holiday Side Dishes class. The first time that I became aware that there was a need for a version of this recipe that didn't involve canned soup or canned onions was during that first class. I have a vivid memory of making an off-hand comment about "that dreadful green bean casserole" as I was discussing "do-ahead" techniques for green vegetable side dishes. There were lots of raised eyebrows as well as a few surprised murmurs and rueful chuckles. Apparently people actually like the green bean casserole. This surprised me. I thought people made this casserole because it was easy...not because they thought it tasted good.

Of course, from my perspective, the really sad thing in all of this is that everyone knows what I'm referring to when I say "the green bean casserole". It is amazing to me that this dish, made almost entirely of processed "food", holds a traditional place of honor on so many Thanksgiving tables. I have joked for several years now that I'm on a campaign to eradicate that casserole. But because I appreciate the value of family traditions, I'm really not. With this recipe, what I hope to do is provide an option for people who are trying to rid their diets of processed foods, but who at the same time want to prepare something that will be enjoyed by their families and will be in keeping with their traditions.

If you are looking to replace that casserole, there really are lots of options out there—and most of them taste much better than the canned soup version. Besides my recipe, there are a couple on the Martha Stewart website.  Ree Drummond has one up on her Pioneer Woman blog. I know there are others. All can be made ahead and baked right before you serve them on Thanksgiving day...just like the "original".

As far as the original is concerned, there really isn't much to it. It contains green beans, canned cream of mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce and fried onions. In other words, a lot of salt, fat and MSG—all things that enhance flavor. Any version you make must be filled with ingredients that are treated in such a way that they pack a flavorful punch.

In general, anytime you have a recipe that calls for a can of "cream of" soup of some kind, you can replace the can of soup with a thick velouté. For those not familiar with the term velouté, it is similar to a béchamel (or white sauce), only it is made with part stock. Use 3 T. of butter, 3 T. flour, 1/2 cup of stock and 1/2 cup of whole milk to replace a can of soup. Salt and pepper to taste...be generous with the salt.

Since the soup called for in the original green bean casserole is cream of mushroom, I added sliced sautéed mushrooms to my version. If you have people in your family who will object to large pieces of mushrooms, you could chop the mushrooms finely in the food processor and cook them exactly as described for the sliced mushrooms. Either way, make sure that you cook the mushrooms until there is no liquid remaining in the pan. To add another dimension of flavor, I deglazed the pan with Sherry (something drinkable—not "cooking sherry"), but you could use white wine, vermouth or even just some water, if you prefer. After adding the liquid, once again, cook until the pan is dry. You don't want any liquid from the mushrooms to water down the velouté.

Since I don't like to deep fry food in my kitchen (everyone has culinary tasks that they like to avoid...deep frying is at the top of my list), I decided to replace the flavor of the fried onions with a large quantity of caramelized shallots and the crunch of the fried onions with buttered coarse breadcrumbs. I caramelized the shallots in the butter I used as the base of my velouté. This takes some time.  Don't short cut this step—it results in intense, sweet, onion-y flavor.

For the breadcrumbs, make your own. Purchase a nice artisanal loaf of bread that has a large open crumb...focaccia, ciabatta or a country French of some kind are all good choices. The bread will grind best if it is a day old. If the crusts are hard, cut them off. Cut the bread into large chunks and process in the food processor until you have coarse crumbs. The bread crumbs may be made ahead and frozen. Tossing them with melted butter before putting them on top of the casserole helps them to crisp nicely and of course adds flavor.

Finally, I added some finely grated Parmesan cheese to the casserole. There is no cheese in the original version, but who doesn't like vegetables dressed in hot cheese sauce? You can leave it out, but I think you will like the flavor that it adds. An aged Pecorino would be another good choice.

When it comes to the green beans, I prefer fresh. The recipe is given for a weight of green beans after trimming. At Thanksgiving, this is how the stores tend to sell them. When you cook the green beans, make sure you cook them until they are quite tender (in plenty of boiling, salted water). This casserole is not about bright green, tender-crisp green beans. I also find that the sauce adheres to the green beans better if they have been spread on a towel and allowed to steam dry as they cool. If they are rinsed in cold water or submerged in an ice bath, there will be water clinging to them that will water down the sauce. The point of "shocking" green vegetables is to stop the cooking process and set the bright green color—neither of these things is really an issue for this casserole. Just make sure that the green beans are spread out in a rough single layer and not in a big compact pile.

I guess given my feelings about the Thanksgiving holiday and this casserole, it's surprising that I waited nine years to develop a scratch version. And, to my gratification, the recipe was very well received by my class. It might have even been the most popular recipe of the five that I taught...which was a big surprise to me. You see, I didn't grow up with this casserole (I had to look up the recipe for the original on the internet). But I do like this version. I hope you will too.

Green Bean Casserole with

Caramelized Shallots & Mushrooms

1 lb. of trimmed green beans, cut on the diagonal into roughly 2-inch lengths
6 1/2 T. unsalted butter, divided
1/2 lb. button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 T. dry sherry
1 1/2 c. coarsely ground fresh breadcrumbs (about 2 1/2 oz.)
3/4 c. finely diced shallots (3 1/2 oz.—about 4 medium shallots)
3 T. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. chicken stock or canned low-salt broth
1 c. whole milk
3/4 to 1 t. kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 c. finely grated Parmesan (1 1/2 oz.)

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the green beans and cook at a rapid boil until tender—about 6 to 9 minutes. Drain and spread out on paper or kitchen towels to cool. Set aside.

Melt 2 T. butter in a wide sauté pan. Increase the heat to moderately high and add the mushrooms along with a pinch of salt. Cook stirring occasionally until the mushrooms have reduced in volume and any liquid they have given off has evaporated. The mushrooms should be tender and caramelized in places. Add the sherry and reduce to a glaze. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

Toss the bread crumbs with 1 1/2 T. melted butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. If making the casserole ahead, cover and refrigerate the buttered breadcrumbs. Bring to room temperature before using.

Melt 3 T. butter over medium heat. Add the shallots, along with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally until soft and evenly golden brown. This will take 15 to 20 minutes. Don't shortcut this step, it adds a lot of flavor to the final dish. While the shallots cook, combine the stock and milk and heat to a simmer. Keep hot. When the shallots are caramelized, stir in the flour. Cook stirring constantly for a minute or two until bubbly all over and straw yellow in color. Remove from the heat and pour in half of the hot liquid, whisking constantly until smooth—it will thicken immediately. Add the remaining liquid and whisk until smooth. Return to the heat and stir constantly until the velouté returns to a simmer. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Set aside. If making the casserole ahead, cool to room temperature before combining with the mushrooms, cheese and green beans.

In a large bowl, toss together the green beans, mushrooms and parmesan. Fold in the velouté. Taste and correct the seasoning. Transfer to a buttered 1 1/2 quart baking dish. The casserole may be baked immediately, or covered and refrigerated for up to a day. If refrigerating, bring to room temperature before proceeding.

Place the casserole in a 350° oven and bake until bubbling around the edges—about 20 minutes. Scatter the buttered breadcrumbs over the casserole and return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the casserole is hot through. Slide the hot casserole under the broiler for a minute or two to finish browning and crisping the crumb topping. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Note: This recipe easily doubles for larger groups of people. Use a 3-quart shallow baking dish (like a 13x9-inch casserole) rather than a deep dish—the casserole will heat more quickly and more uniformly in a shallow dish. Make sure that the casserole is hot throughout before serving.

A Visit from a Chestnut Expert and a Recipe for Savory Chestnut Bread Pudding...a Holiday Side Dish or Brunch Centerpiece



 Last night was my "Holiday Side Dishes" class. Deborah Milks from Chestnut Charlie's in Lawrence, Kansas came to the class and gave us a short presentation on chestnuts. Chestnut Charlie's has been growing certified organic chestnuts since 1998. For local readers, their chestnuts can be purchased at Whole Foods in Overland Park and the Community Mercantile in Lawrence. They also have an on-line ordering system.  Even if you don't wish to order, you should visit their website.  It is a great resource for recipes and reliable information on chestnuts.

As I watched the presentation, I was struck by how much I was learning in a short amount of time. There is nothing like watching an expert with hands-on, working knowledge of their topic. I have been using chestnuts for many years, but I only had bits and pieces of information that I had picked up here and there—some of it good, some of it not so good. I felt like some of the gaps in my understanding of chestnuts were filled in last night. I thought that today I would share a few of the things I learned.

I had read on the internet that chestnuts were not supposed to be consumed raw. This is not true—one of the farmers at my market who sells American chestnuts (Chestnut Charlie grows and sells Chinese chestnuts) and Debbie Milks both confirm this. They are perfectly fine for eating raw if you like them that way. The scoring and heating process that I described in my previous post is primarily to loosen the shell and underlying skin (the pellicle)—although extending the amount of time the unpeeled nut is exposed to your chosen heating method will effectively cook the chestnut.

When the chestnuts are first harvested they are full of water and are starchy. As they age, the meat of the chestnut begins to lose its moisture and the starches begin to be converted to sugars. The meat of a fresh chestnut has some give and tenderness to it. The meat of a chestnut that has been stored properly for a while has begun to harden—but it is also much sweeter. How you cook your chestnuts will depend on how old they are. A very fresh chestnut will not need much cooking. An older, harder chestnut will need to be cooked in some liquid for a while to soften it up. A dried chestnut can be rehydrated by soaking in water...it can also be ground into flour.

Because chestnuts contain very little fat, dry heat cooking procedures can turn them into tooth-breaking rocks.  This means that if you are roasting chestnuts in the oven in order to peel them, the older they are, the less time they should spend in the oven. Roast them only until the shell begins to open up and no longer. Also, if you are going to be cooking a peeled chestnut by roasting it (in a medley of roasted vegetables, for example), your chestnuts need to be very fresh and you need to make sure that you coat the chestnut with a sufficient quantity of fat to protect it from the drying heat of the oven.  The time in the oven should be of a short duration.

All of the above provides valuable information for me as a cook. Cooking with chestnuts is like cooking with any vegetable or fruit—it is highly interactive. Taste and touch your ingredients to know what they need and what methods they will respond to. Sample the chestnuts before you begin to cook with them. How hard are they? How sweet? If I have older chestnuts that are a bit firm and I want to make the Brussels Sprouts recipe, I might simmer them in some lightly salted water before adding them to the cream. But you might not. There isn't really a correct "doneness" for a chestnut. How long you cook it is up to you—your purposes and your tastes.

Finally, a word about how to keep the chestnuts that you purchase from becoming moldy. As I mentioned in my previous post, chestnuts should be purchased form a purveyor that stores them under refrigeration.  You should keep them refrigerated when you get them home. If stored at room temperature the natural protective enzymes in the nut will die and the chestnut will become more subject to molding. Do not store the chestnuts in a sealed container—the moisture they release as they age needs to be able to evaporate. If they are stored in plastic bags (or other type of air tight container) the moisture will be trapped and create an environment that is hospitable to mold.

The second chestnut recipe that I shared last night is a savory bread pudding that I have been making for several years for my private dinner clients. I serve it mostly as an accompaniment to roast beef—usually tenderloin or prime rib. A savory bread pudding as a companion for a roasted meat may seem a bit odd, but if you think of the pudding as a creamy version of dressing, then it doesn't seem strange at all...it seems elegant. I like to serve this combination with roasted carrots that have been finished with a little Dijon mustard—the carrots add beautiful color to the plate and the flavor compliments both the beef and the bread pudding.

The original bread pudding recipe does not include the chestnuts, but when I saw the recipe it seemed to be a perfect home for chestnuts. The sweet flavor of chestnuts goes well with all the primary flavors in this dish—kale, bacon and cream—and the presence of the chestnuts adds a nice holiday feel to the dish. Even though I know chestnuts are harvested in September and October, I still think of them as a holiday food.

Savory Chestnut Bread Pudding

1 1/2 lbs. fresh chestnuts, peeled (to make 2 1/2 to 3 c. peeled chestnuts)
8 oz. bacon, cut crosswise in 1/2-inch strips
1 medium to large onion, cut in a 1/4-inch dice
3 ribs celery, cut in a 1/4-inch dice
butter or olive oil as needed
1 lb. Kale (2 bunches), stemmed and coarsely chopped (wash the kale, but do not spin it dry)
1 2 lb. loaf country-style bread or 2 baguettes, crusts removed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes—you should have 12 cups of cubed bread
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 c. milk
2 c. heavy cream
1 c. chicken stock
Salt & Pepper to taste

Place the chestnuts in a saucepan and cover with salted water by an inch or so. Simmer until the chestnuts are just tender—5 to 10 minutes. Drain and cool.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp. Remove the bacon to paper towels. Pour off and reserve all but a tablespoon or two of the fat. Add the onion and celery to the pan along with a pinch of salt and sweat until just tender. If the pan seems dry, add more bacon fat or some olive oil or butter. Add the kale to the pan a handful at a time and cook, covered, until wilted and tender—15 to 30 minutes depending on the kale. If there is a lot of liquid left in the pan once the kale is tender, uncover and continue to cook for a few moments until most of the liquid has evaporated. (See note below for alternative method.)

While the kale cooks, slice the chestnuts. Sauté the sliced chestnuts in a large nonstick skillet in bacon fat (or butter) until golden—use enough fat to help the chestnuts to sizzle gently.

In a large bowl combine the cubed bread, kale, bacon and chestnuts; set aside.

Whisk the eggs, milk, cream and stock together. Season to taste with salt & pepper and pour over the bread/kale mixture. Turn to coat.

 Allow the mixture to sit, stirring occasionally, until the bread has absorbed the custard—30 to 60 minutes.


Transfer the mixture to a buttered 3-quart baking dish

or divide among 16 buttered 6 oz. ramekins. Bake the bread pudding(s) in a 350° oven until the custard is set and the top is golden—about an hour for the large casserole, 30 to 45 minutes for the individual ramekins. Let the large casserole sit for 20 minutes before serving. Let the small ramekins sit for 10 minutes before turning the puddings out. The bread pudding can be made 1 to 3 hours ahead of time. Let sit at room temperature. Reheat in a moderate oven to serve. Serves 12 to 16. 

(Recipe adapted from Food & Wine, December 1999)

Notes & Variations: 

• If you prefer, the kale may be cooked in a large quantity of rapidly boiling, salted water until tender—this should only take 5 to 10 minutes. Drain the kale, press out the excess moisture and add to the pan with the cooked onions and celery. Cook briefly to allow any remaining liquid to evaporate and to allow the flavors to blend. Taste and correct the seasoning.

• The original recipe did not include chestnuts. It was simply a Kale & Bacon bread pudding. If you prefer not use chestnuts, use 2 1/2 lbs. of kale.

• Create your own savory bread pudding by replacing any or all of the cooked kale, bacon and chestnuts with other cooked ingredients of your choice—sautéed mushrooms, toasted pecans, dried fruits, blanched or roasted vegetables (cut into small pieces),sautéed apples or pears, etc—you will need about 5 to 6 cups of cooked additions for the full recipe.

• This recipe is easily halved for a smaller crowd. Use a 1 1/2 quart baking dish.

Do-Ahead Tips: All of the components of the bread pudding may be made early in the day or the day before. Cook the chestnuts and bacon as directed; combine, cover and refrigerate. Cook the onion, celery and kale mixture as directed; cool, cover and refrigerate. Cube the bread and store, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature. Make the custard and store, covered, in the refrigerator. Bring all the components to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts...a Classic for a Reason

One of the classes that I have been working on in recent days is "Holiday Side Dishes. " This is a topic that I could probably teach with different recipes every single year and still not plumb its depths. Food magazines produce issues year after year with new recipes using traditional ingredients and recipes that are "twists on old favorites" or "updated classics". My classes and the magazines cater to the fact that in our society, in which many people no longer cook, most still want to cook at the holidays.

I love teaching this class. I think this is mainly because my family (like a lot of families) pretty much has the same thing every year—things that my mother and grandmothers served at the holidays. There are those in my family who would be mightily disappointed if these old favorites didn't show up on the table. By developing and testing new recipes for these classes I get to enjoy the best of both worlds: new holiday recipes to enjoy all month long and the old family favorites on the big day.

Today's recipe for Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts is something that will probably show up on our dinner table with great frequency...it is delicious—and so easy that it doesn't have to be reserved for a holiday. Although its ease of preparation should make it appealing for the holiday table too. I think one of the things that overwhelms cooks at Thanksgiving is trying to make too many complicated dishes. I always tell my classes that one or two "show stopper" items is enough—any more than that and your guests taste buds will be overwhelmed anyway.

Two of the recipes in my class this year include chestnuts. If you have never cooked with chestnuts, you should definitely try them. You can of course purchase vacuum-packed, peeled chestnuts. Williams-Sonoma and Trader Joes, among others, carry them. But fresh chestnuts, having been harvested in September and October, are in season now. As with all ingredients, they are superior in their fresh form. Purchase them at a store where they are kept under refrigeration—if they are out on the floor in baskets or barrels, they will most likely have begun to spoil and mold. The chestnuts that you buy should be firm and heavy for their size.

To peel a chestnut, most sources will tell you to first cut an "x" on one side of the chestnut.  The owner of  Chestnut Charlie's suggests a much easier and much more effective method.  Using a short serrated knife (or a chestnut knife) and holding the chestnut firmly in one hand while choking up on the serrated knife in the other, drag the knife across the rounded side of the chestnut, making a shallow, horizontal slit in the shell.   Once this slit has been cut, there are many ways to heat the chestnut up to help release the shell and underlying skin, which must also be removed. The nuts may be simmered in water for five minutes, or roasted in a hot oven (covered or uncovered—I have seen and done both) for 15 minutes or so. The nuts are ready to peel when the slit that you cut begins to widen.

My new favorite heating method is in the microwave. I place 5 or 6 at a time in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes (on full power). Because chestnuts must be hot when they are peeled—the inner skin is almost impossible to remove once the nuts have cooled—it is important to choose a method that allows you to fall into an easy rhythm of cooking, cooling slightly and peeling. For me, this is the microwave. You may like one of the other methods better. Keep a towel handy—it sometimes helps to grab the hot chestnut with a towel as you peel it. Once you establish your rhythm, you will be able to produce a respectable pile of peeled chestnuts in no time.

I would like to be able to say that I developed the recipe that I am posting today, but I didn't. I found it in an old issue of Gourmet and tweaked it slightly for use with fresh chestnuts. The original recipe in Gourmet calls for vacuum-packed chestnuts, which tend to be softer than fresh chestnuts.

Brussels Sprouts and Chestnuts in combination are a holiday classic. The sweetness of the chestnut is said to offset the bitterness of the Brussels Sprouts. But after looking at and trying multiple recipes, I was beginning to wonder what the fuss was about. The recipe from Gourmet is deceptively simple—there is really nothing in it except chestnuts, Brussels sprouts and cream—and it is very good. 

I suspect that all of the wine and vinegar and onions/shallots/garlic/etc. that I had been finding in other recipes were covering up the delicate balance and interplay of flavors between these two ingredients. It is so often the case that we mask flavors by trying to make things "more" special.


To soften the fresh peeled chestnuts, I gently simmered them in the cream while the sprouts cooked. I also made the recipe once by adding the chestnuts to the pan to cook with the sprouts.  This worked well too. The only other change I made was to add some fresh thyme—I knew from other recipes that I had tried that I would like this addition...but you can of course leave it out and have the pure chestnut and Brussels sprout experience. If you love Brussels sprouts, you will love this recipe. If you don't, you should try it anyway...you may become a Brussels sprouts fan.





Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/4 cups water, divided
1 c. peeled chestnuts, cut into quarters, uniform small chunks or coarsely crumbled
2 T. unsalted butter
1 t. kosher salt, or to taste

1 to 2 t. minced fresh thyme

2 lbs. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise (8 cups)

Freshly ground black pepper

Place the cream, 1/4 cup of the water and the chestnuts in a small saucepan. Bring to a bare simmer and gently cook over very low heat while preparing the Brussels sprouts. The goal is to soften the chestnuts slightly while infusing the cream with their flavor. There should only be a few bubbles visible on the surface of the cream. If cooked at a rapid simmer or boil, the cream will reduce too much and the final dish will be oily rather than creamy.

Bring butter, salt and remaining 1 cup water to a boil over high heat in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet (the water should fill the pan to a depth of about 1/4 inch). Add the Brussels sprouts and thyme and simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until the Brussels sprouts are crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the lid and boil over moderately high to high heat until water is evaporated and the sprouts sizzling in the butter and beginning to caramelize, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cream along with the chestnuts. The cream will boil and reduce rapidly upon coming in contact with the hot pan, so stir constantly with a heat proof spatula, encouraging the thickening cream to coat the sprouts and chestnuts. If the cream is still too liquid, return the pan to moderate heat and simmer until the cream lightly coats the sprouts and chestnuts. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt & pepper. Serves 8.

(Recipe adapted from Gourmet Magazine November 2005)

Note: Brussels Sprouts and Chestnuts can be made ahead and reheated before serving.  If necessary, add a little water to the pan to let out the creamy sauce a bit while warming gently.

Printable Version

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is only three weeks from today. Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. Retailers have mostly given up on trying to ruin it by capitalizing on its commercial possibilities. It is difficult to make money off of a holiday that, at its heart, is about gratitude for what you already have and about sitting down at a table to connect and reconnect with those nearest and dearest to you—whether family or friends.

The most commercial traction retailers have ever been able to get out of Thanksgiving has been to convince us all that it is the official kickoff of the Christmas season. But I noticed that this year several retailers dubbed the Friday before Halloween as "Black Friday" to encourage shoppers to consider that day the first shopping day for Christmas. When Halloween was over, the speed with which the stores replaced their Halloween decor with Christmas decor was astonishing...literally overnight.  (I couldn't even find any half priced Halloween candy...)

Well just because the retailers might be trying to down-play Thanksgiving doesn't mean that I will. Because I love Thanksgiving, and all that it represents, I will try to offer lots of recipes this month for foods that can be made and shared with your families and friends—not just for Thanksgiving, but for Christmas too. Frankly many of the foods we associate with Thanksgiving show up on Christmas tables as well...pumpkin, cranberries, sweet potatoes, chestnuts, Turkey....

Today I'm posting an old favorite of mine—Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. I made a batch earlier this week because I had opened a can of pumpkin to make my pumpkin pancakes. The pancake recipe only uses 6 tablespoons of pumpkin. The 15 ounce can contains 1 3/4 cups. I have always been mystified by the fact that solid pack pumpkin comes in this odd size—most recipes are in 1 cup or 1/2 cup increments.  But if you have a larger household than mine, you could make a double batch of pancakes, using up 3/4 cup of pumpkin and then you would have 1 cup leftover for the muffins. Since I only made a single batch of the pancakes, I still had some left over after making the muffins. But this is actually OK, since I recently discovered that my dog, who has some pretty interesting tastes, loves pumpkin (as a bonus, it provides some extra fiber for her—something an aging pooch occasionally needs). I just add a tablespoon or so to her meals until the can is used up and it makes us both happy.

As I mentioned, this is an old favorite that I have been making (and teaching) for years. But since I can't help myself, I continue to tinker with recipes long after they are "perfect" and sometimes I hit upon something that I find to be an improvement. Something like that happened this time with these muffins. The recipe calls for melted butter. Since most pumpkin- (or sweet potato, or carrot, or zucchini...) based baked goods use oil, I thought I would try oil in this recipe. Oil is liquid at room temperature, so it will produce a softer result than butter (which is solid at room temperature). If a cake, or other baked good, has enough strong flavors (pumpkin, spices, chocolate, etc.) to mask the fact that you are losing some flavor when you replace flavorful butter with bland oil, then replacing melted butter with oil is a reasonable thing to try. For these muffins, in addition to swapping oil for butter, I added a little vanilla to make up for that loss of flavor.

I really like the muffin that results from these changes. I am not saying that I will never make these again with melted butter—but I will lean toward the oil version. I have always thought these muffins were a little bit firm at the cool room temperatures common in most homes during the fall and winter months. This is nothing that warming them up slightly before serving them will not cure. But when made with oil, they become an easy "any-time" sort of treat. So, even if you don't need to make them in order to use up the rest of that can of pumpkin, make a batch to serve your holiday guests—for breakfast, as a nice accompaniment to afternoon coffee (or tea), or as a grab-and-go treat.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour (200 grams)
1 c. sugar (200 grams)
1 T. pumpkin pie spice*
1 t. baking soda
¼ t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 c. dried cranberries
2 eggs
1 c. pumpkin purée
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 t. vanilla
Turbinado Sugar for sprinkling

In a large bowl, whisk together the first 6 ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Set aside.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs together with the pumpkin, oil and vanilla until well blended.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and fold in with a rubber spatula just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Scoop the batter into foil-lined or greased muffin cups. Sprinkle generously with Turbinado sugar.

Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes, or until puffed and springy to the touch in the center. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

These muffins keep well wrapped airtight. If you like, warm gently before serving.  Makes 12.

Note: May substitute 1 1/2 t. cinnamon, 3/4 t. ginger, 1/2 t allspice and 1/4 t. nutmeg for 1 T. pumpkin pie spice.

Variations:
• Use a stick of melted butter instead of vegetable oil
• Substitute golden raisins for the dried cranberries
• Increase chocolate chips to 1 cup and use 1/2 c. toasted walnuts, pecans or sliced almonds, instead of the dried cranberries.

(Recipe adapted from Muffins by Elizabeth Alston)