The priest's chestnuts are now found everywhere, but their origins are to be found in Campania. To be precise, in Montella, in the province of Avellino. And the Montella chestnut is an IGP product exported all over the world.
HOW THEY ARE MADE
The process begins with a long drying process (about 15 days) that takes place over a low flame on wooden racks and in special rooms called gratali. The chestnuts are then further cooked in the oven at 180 °C for 40 minutes. Finally, there is the spray bath step, which is carried out in a mixture of water or water and wine: it lasts a week and is aimed at softening the chestnuts without them losing the particular flavor given by smoking and, indeed, by toasting.
WHY ARE THEY CALLED THAT?
The name of these chestnuts can be traced back to two legends. According to the first, they were invented by the Irpinia monks. The second, however, tells of a priest who received a huge quantity of chestnuts as a gift and loaded them onto a mule to take them to the convent. However, the animal, due to too much effort and also due to the lack of experience of its owner, fell into a river, consequently the chestnuts also ended up in the water. Many witnessed the scene and mocked the priest, who however did not let himself be demoralized and, having reached their destination, put the chestnuts in the oven to dry them.
USES IN THE KITCHEN
Chestnuts are sweet in themselves, of course, but the priest's chestnut is even sweeter. The secret lies in the roasting, that is, in the phase following drying. In fact, through the passage in the oven, the caramelization of the sugars contained in the fruit occurs. The priest's chestnuts, together with beans and bacon, are the protagonists of a traditional Irpinia dish: 'a zuppa 'e castagne e fasule. Above all, however, they become the magical, unique and inimitable ingredient of stuffed turkey, also because they definitely go well with apples. Precisely for this reason, we also recommend crumbling a generous amount and sprinkling it on the surface of your next apple pie.
Gustavo Gentile
EDITORIAL TEAM
Choose the social channel you want to subscribe to