makes about 2½ cups (600 ml)
This unusual rendition of skordalia is actually an old recipe from the region of Arcadia in the Peloponnese. All over Greece’s mountainous regions, chestnut trees flourish; indeed, the chestnut has long been revered as an addition to pilafs and stuffings, candied, transformed into spoon sweets (preserved in sugar syrup), and pureed, as in this recipe, which attests to the ingenuity of traditional cooks who know how to make use of everything that nature provides.
I like to serve this with a pile of floured and lightly fried strips of winter squash or grilled vegetables.
20 peeled vacuum-packed, frozen, or fresh chestnuts
½ cup (50 g) coarse stale bread crumbs or plain croutons
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¾ to 1 cup (180 to 240 ml) extra-virgin Greek olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
If using vacuum-packed chestnuts, simmer according to the package instructions; for frozen, bring to room temperature before using. For fresh chestnuts: Score the shells with a sharp paring knife and place in a pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches (5 cm). Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the chestnuts are soft, 35 to 40 minutes. Drain, let cool briefly until cool enought to handle, and peel.
Put the stale bread cubes in a bowl, dampen them with water, and squeeze out the excess moisture using either the palms of your hands or by wrapping the crumbs in cheesecloth and twisting to extract the liquid. Place the dampened crumbs in the bowl of a food processor. Crumble the chestnuts into the food processor and add the garlic. Pulse a few times to combine well.
With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice, alternating between each and using as much of the olive oil as needed until the chestnut skordalia is very creamy. Add a little warm water if necessary to achieve the desired smooth texture. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.