Chestnuts
If the truth were known, many persons would confess that chestnuts never look so tempting as when they are seen at the corner of a street on the rude baking contrivance of a vagabond roaster. If they only had the courage to do so in the face of day, they would gladly stop to buy a pennyworth and consent to pay a shilling. Nobody has been known to feel in the same way to boiled chestnuts, unless it be the Portuguese and those who have learnt their style, which is to top them (that is, nip off their points) and to boil them with anise-seed-half an ounce to fifty chestnuts.
Chicken Purée of Chestnuts. The outer and the inner skins being removed, put fifty chestnuts in a stewpan with a pint of milk, and boil them slowly over the fire till they are quite done. Next drain away the milk and rub them hot through a wire sieve. Put the purée thus obtained into a stewpan with a pat of butter, a little sugar, a wineglassful of cream, pepper and salt. Make it hot without boiling it, and serve it with cutlets, goose, duck, or turkey.
Chestnut Soup.- Make the purée as above, using broth instead of milk. Add to it three or four pints of broth, double broth, or good brown gravy.
Chestnut Forcemeat will be found under Forcemeat.
Chestnut Pudding. The only very good one is the Nesselrode; but that is superb, and is described under its name.