[Sca-cooks] glace chestnuts

[David Walddon]

I was intrigued so I went to La Varenne (Scully's edition) and found a few other "candied" chestnut recipes. 
I also have several pounds of chestnuts and am going to try out some of the recipes. I will post here or to my blog (with pictures) once I start in on the recipes. 

Does anyone have the French for the below. I would like to have it. 

Also does anyone have any other candied chestnut recipes from period (or close to - given the 1650 or 1600 date issues). 

Here are the ones that I have found in La Varenne.

The compote sounds interesting - Two issues Apricot syrup (made the way it says to do) is not going to happen at this time of year and what kind of Spanish Wine? 
The first recipe for Limousin Chestnuts is very straightforward. The next one, "Another way", is not going to happen for me because I am allergic to raw egg white. 

Eduardo 


In the confections section of the French Cook (Scully pg 372) recipe number 61 and 62 

61. Limousin Chestnuts 
Cook chestnuts normally. When they are done, peel them as as you do flatten them a little between your hands; set them out on a plate. Get some water, some sugar and the juice of a lemon or some orange blossom water and make a syrup of them. When it is made, pour it boiling on your chestnuts. You can serve them hot or cold. 

62. Another way 
If you wish to blanch them, get an egg white and some orange blossom water and beat them together; soak your chestnuts in that. Then put them in a dish with some powdered sugar and roll them in it so they get covered with it; then dry them by the fire. 

Then in the French Confectioner Bk X Unusual Confections (Scully pg 506) recipe 7 
7. Chestnut Compote 
Roast some chestnuts on the coals, shell them and flatten them, then put them into a silver dish with some apricot syrup, or some other sort of syrup, and a little Spanish wine; boil them. When you want to serve them, put a plate on top and tip them over on it like a cheese. 

Apricot syrup recipe included in the French Confectioner: Bk V Refreshing Syrups 
4. Apricot Syrup 
Get very ripe apricots, peel them and remove their pits. Put ver clean little sticks on the bottom of a basin, arrange a layer of apricots on the sicks, then a layer of powdered sugar, and repeat until you have as much as you want to make of it; cover them over and put them in a cellar for a night. If you want to keep the syrup that has fallen into the basin, draw it off and boil it until it has cooked to the pearl stage. You can use the apricots to make tourtes o marmalades. 


And finally in The French Confectioner: Bk XI Moist Confections recipe 16 

16. Glace Chestnuts 
Make a glazing of some orange-blossom water and some sugar, as is directed for Glace Marzipan. Cook some chestnuts on the coals, shell them, flatten them, glaze them on one side and cook them with the upper part of the oven, then turn them over on their other side, glaze them and cook them the same way. 
Glace Brignol plums, cherries and peaches are done the same way as the chestnuts. 

The orange blossom water is included in the French Confectioner: Bk XVI Marzipan recipe 4 
4. Glace Marzipan 
Take some plain marzipan paste and make it up into rings or whatever shape you want. Then make a glazing with some orange-blossom water and some powdered sugar: get some orange-blossom water, put some sugar into it and mix the well together until this glazing is slightly thick, Dip one side of your marzipan into it, put some paper and bake it with a moderate heat applied to the top of the oven. When it has baked, let it cool, then dip the unglazed side (into the glazing) and bake it as before. 


________________________________________________________

Food is life. May the plenty that graces your table truly be a VAST REPAST. 

David Walddon
david at vastrepast.com
www.vastrepast.net



On Nov 19, 2010, at 8:58 AM, Johnna Holloway wrote:

> Glace chestnuts are in La Varenne's French Confectioner.
> Section X recipe 16 (page 508 in the Scully edition.)
> 
> Johnnae
> 
> On Nov 19, 2010, at 10:10 AM, Susan Lin wrote:
> 
>> I have not done any research as to whether they are period but I like
>> to think that this is a preservation method that might be close.
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