Everything you need to know about candied chestnut
Everything you need to know about candied chestnut
It's the indulgence of all sweet tooth when the end of year celebrations approach.
Where does candied chestnut come from?
It's the eternal Franco-Italian squabble. For us, it would have been created in Versailles by a confectioner of Louis XIV. For our Italian neighbors it would come from Coni, a town in the Piedmont region. Even the people of Lyon get involved, claiming the paternity of this confectionery... The only certainty is that it was Clément Faugier, a Ponts et Chaussées engineer, who created in Privas, in Ardèche, the first industrial manufacturing company for candied chestnuts preserving the qualities of craftsmanship.
How is it made?
The chestnuts are sorted and immersed in water for eight days to ensure their preservation. They are then carefully peeled and swaddled in pairs in a veil of tulle so that they do not break. The chestnuts thus protected are boiled in water before being immersed in a sugar syrup, for almost forty-eight hours, with a few vanilla pods. The last operation is that of icing. Each chestnut is coated with a thin layer of syrup made with icing sugar and baked, which gives it a shiny appearance. Be careful not to confuse the candied chestnut with the drained chestnut, which has not gone through the glazing stage.
How do we taste it?
Especially no knife! Just split the chestnut gently in half with your fingers. It should be tender and moist, with a tear of syrup in the middle. The sweet frosting is light, so as not to invade the mouth.
Does it keep for a long time?
Marron glacé can be kept very well in cold and dry conditions, but not for more than three months. It is best to consume it within a month of its production.
