Stéphane says of this recipe:
“Chestnut or marron? We often talk about roasted marrons, crème de marrons, or marrons glacés, but when it comes to ‘marrons’, the terminology is actually misleading. In fact, these are chestnuts, since the true marron, the fruit of the horse chestnut tree, is not edible.
The chestnut was once considered the ‘poor man’s fruit’ – nourishing and inexpensive. However, when it began to be prepared and served for the nobility, people started calling it marron instead. The term eventually took hold, effectively elevating the humble chestnut to a more refined status.
This recipe uses an unusual and surprising 100% Swiss rum, produced from beet molasses. It is carefully crafted by Laurent Cossy from Domaine des Rueyres in Chardonne. Its vanilla and woody notes pair perfectly with the chestnuts.”
Recipe (serves 4)
Chestnut vermicelli
100g peeled chestnuts, fresh or frozen
100g marrons glacés (candied chestnuts) (available in fine grocery stores)
100g crème de marrons (chestnut cream) (available in fine grocery stores)
Dark rum – for example, Rhum 1803 from Domaine des Rueyres in Chardonne
Cook the peeled chestnuts in gently simmering water for 40 minutes (20 minutes if using frozen chestnuts). Once fully cooked, drain them and blend in a food processor together with the marrons glacés (candied chestnuts) and crème de marrons (chestnut cream). Finish with a dash of dark rum.
Transfer the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a vermicelle nozzle.
The combination of the three preparations will create the ideal texture.
Meringue
3 egg whites
180g caster sugar
Whisk the egg whites until stiff, gradually adding the sugar. The mixture should be very firm, smooth, and glossy. Transfer into a piping bag fitted with an 11mm plain nozzle. Pipe small meringue kisses onto a sheet of baking paper.
Bake for 2 hours in a fan-assisted oven preheated to 90°C. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container, protected from humidity.
Chestnut mousse
150g chestnut vermicelli (see above)
1 sheet gelatin (2g)
20g heavy cream
180g whipped cream
Dark rum
Soak the gelatin in cold water for 15 minutes. Heat the cream and dissolve the drained gelatin in it, then add this mixture to the chestnut vermicelli, whisking vigorously. Gently fold in the whipped cream and a dash of dark rum using a spatula.
Pour into silicone molds shaped as half-cylindrical strips, 12 cm long. Freeze overnight. Unmold and keep frozen until use.
Coating the chestnut mousse
250g milk chocolate
250g cocoa butter
Frozen, unmolded chestnut mousses
Melt the chocolate and cocoa butter together in a bain-marie, stirring until smooth. Check the temperature with a thermometer; it should be 35°C. Insert two toothpicks into each frozen chestnut mousse to make handling easier. Dip them into the coating, then place them on a sheet of baking paper. When the coating begins to set, carefully remove the toothpicks and transfer the mousses immediately to the refrigerator.
Shortbread biscuit
175g icing sugar
350g soft butter
3g salt
1 egg
575g flour
In a mixing bowl, combine the butter with the icing sugar, salt, and egg. Once the mixture is smooth and homogeneous, add the flour and mix as little as possible. Roll out the dough to 3mm thickness between two sheets of baking paper, then place it in the freezer for 1 hour. Once firm, cut into rectangles measuring 12cm by 3cm.
Bake for 10 minutes in a fan-assisted oven preheated to 170°C.
Finishing and plating
Chestnut vermicelli
Coated chestnut mousses
Shortbread biscuits
4 candied chestnuts (available in gourmet stores)
Meringue kisses
Place the chestnut mousse on top of the shortbread biscuit. Generously pipe the chestnut vermicelli over it. Decorate with the small meringues and pieces of candied chestnut.
Click and cook – your links to our full series of Décotterd recipes
Below we’ve gathered all Stephane’s Insider recipes into one easy-to-access list – a treasure trove of gourmet delights for novice and experienced chefs everywhere!
Cook with Stéphane Décotterd – part 1: Trout carpaccio with green apple, tarragon and sunflower
Cook with Stéphane Décotterd – part 2: Swiss shrimps, granola and carrot “sucs”
Cook with Stéphane Décotterd – part 3: Swiss shrimps tartare with caviar
Cook with Stéphane Décotterd #8: charcoal grilled wagyu beef short ribs with grilled cucumber
Cook with Stéphane Décotterd #9: Venison ballotine with red cabbage vinaigrette
Cook with Stéphane Décotterd #10 – oxtail cannelloni & mushroom cream
Cook with Stéphane Décotterd #12 – Chamby trout fillet with hazelnut cream and broccoli
Cook with Stéphane Décotterd #14 – Sourdough bread bruschetta with tomatoes and Vaud burratina
