Chestnut

Unlike the majority of lipid-rich nuts, the chestnut is structured around starch and water. Cooking it is mandatory to gelatinize this raw starch and make it digestible. Dry heat (roasting over a wood fire) fractures its shell, evaporates the water, and initiates the transformation of starch into sugar, developing smoky and vanilla notes. Once its bitter pellicle (the tan) is removed, its extremely mealy flesh emulsifies perfectly with butter to create purees of exceptional density.