Chestnut Potato Puree Food

POTATO PURéE

Steps:

• Add cubed potatoes to a medium saucepan with a big pinch of salt and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until very soft and almost falling apart, about 20 minutes. When potatoes are cooked, drain well. Then place them back into the hot pot (with the heat turned off) to evaporate any residual moisture, 30 seconds.
• Run potatoes through a food mill or potato ricer into a mixing bowl. Add butter and stir well to combine; then pour in the warm milk and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add salt to taste and place back into the saucepan. Over very low heat, whisk again to release extra moisture in the potatoes.
• When potatoes are smooth and creamy, but still hold their shape when folded over, transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

CHESTNUT PUREE

Steps:

• Combine chestnuts, milk, and salt in a saucepan. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan, and toss in pod. Bring to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, until chestnuts are very soft and all but about 1/2 cup of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.
• Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, reserving chestnuts and cooking liquid separately and discarding vanilla pod. Process chestnuts in a food processor until very smooth, adding reserved cooking liquid (and additional milk if needed), 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture is the consistency of a thick spread. Pour through a large-mesh sieve. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.

REALLY CREAMY POTATO PURéE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• On a parchment-lined sheet pan, arrange the potatoes in an even layer. Bake the potatoes until tender, about 45 minutes. Let the potatoes cool slightly until able to be handled but still hot. Peel the potatoes.
• Add one potato at a time to a ricer and rice the potatoes into a pot. Add the warm cream to the potatoes and some pieces of butter. Whisk until smooth. Continue to add most of the remaining butter, whisking piece by piece, reserving 1 to 2 tablespoons to finish. Season the potatoes with salt.
• Fill a small Dutch oven with hot water to warm it up. Dump the water and transfer the potatoes to the pot. Top with the remaining butter and garnish with chives.

POTATO, CHESTNUT, AND CELERY ROOT PURéE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan cook the onion in 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is softened, add the celery root, the potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, the chestnuts, the broth, and enough of the water to just cover the mixture, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender. Drain the mixture, reserving the cooking liquid, force it through a food mill fitted with the medium disk or a ricer into a bowl, and stir in the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, salt and pepper to taste, and enough of the reserved cooking liquid to achieve the desired consistency. The purée may be made 1 day in advance, kept covered and chilled, and reheated. Transfer the purée to a serving dish and garnish it with the celery leaves.

PURéE DE CHâTAIGNES (CHESTNUT PURéE)

Steps:

• Tip the chestnuts into a saucepan with the milk and thyme. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 10-15 mins. The chestnuts are ready when they start to fall apart slightly when pricked with a fork.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small pan and fry the shallots over a medium heat until softened.
• Remove the thyme from the chestnuts and discard. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chestnuts to a food processor, then pour in 100ml of the poaching milk, reserving the rest. Add the fried shallots and crème fraîche, then blitz to a thick purée, adding more of the reserved poaching milk to loosen if needed. Season with salt and some white pepper to taste. To freeze, leave to cool fully, then seal in an airtight container and freeze for three weeks.
• Tip the purée back into the saucepan and cover to keep warm until you're ready to serve. If the purée needs reheating, add a splash of the reserved poaching milk and warm through over a low heat.

CHESTNUT AND POTATO PURéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Prick each potato in a few places with a fork, then divide potatoes into 3 groups and wrap each group in foil. Bake in oven until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
• While potatoes bake, melt butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, then cook chestnuts, stirring, 5 minutes. Add half-and-half, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and gently simmer, covered, until chestnuts are very tender and cream is infused with bay leaf, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf, then transfer chestnuts with a slotted spoon to a blender. Add enough cooking liquid to purée chestnuts easily, then purée until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return purée to pot with remaining liquid and stir together. Keep warm over very low heat.
• Holding them with a kitchen towel to protect your hands, carefully unwrap and peel potatoes, a few at a time, and push through ricer into chestnut mixture. Stir to combine (mixture will continue to thicken) and season to taste.