Coming Out of Its Shell

The chestnut lends A rich presence to soups, entrees, and sides.

These days, it seems as though Christmas and Chanukah decorations show up in stores by quarter after Labor Day. For me, the real harbinger of the season is the scent of chestnuts roasting on the fire on crisp November days. Throughout Europe (particularly France and Italy), Asia, and the Americas, fragrant, sweet roasted chestnuts are a winter treat for both eating out of hand and for cooking. At the height of their season in November and December, chestnuts find a natural home on the holiday table -- as a tempting nibble, a companion to poultry or pork, in soups and stuffings, and paired with grains or autumn vegetables in side dishes.

Creamy Chestnut Soup

Serves 4

1 tablespoon butter

1 large or 2 small leeks, white and light-green parts cleaned and chopped (about 2 cups)

1 large ripe Bartlett or Bosc pear, peeled, cored, and chopped

Salt and pepper

1 quart homemade or packaged low-sodium chicken broth

2½ cups (1 14.8-ounce jar) roasted chestnuts, 5 chestnuts reserved and finely chopped

1 tablespoon brandy

½ cup half-and-half

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus extra for garnish

In a large saucepan set over medium heat, melt butter. Add leeks, pear, and ½ teaspoon salt, stir to coat, and cook about 2 minutes. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until leeks and pear have released their juices, about 10 minutes. Add broth and chestnuts, increase heat to medium-high, bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat to very low, cover pot, and simmer until chestnuts are very tender, about 30 minutes.

In a food processor or blender, puree the mixture (working carefully and in batches) until smooth. Return puree to the pot, add brandy, half-and-half, nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste, and heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until soup is heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary; serve at once, garnishing each bowl with reserved chopped chestnuts and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Chinese Braised Chicken and Chestnuts

Serves 4

Serve with steamed white rice.

3½ pounds (8 to 10) bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup dry sherry or sake

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1 piece ginger, 1 inch by 1 inch, peeled and smashed

5 long strips zest from 1 orange

8 ounces roasted, peeled chestnuts (about 1½ cups)

1½ teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

6 scallions, thinly sliced (about 2/3 cup)

In a large nonreactive bowl, toss chicken with soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of sherry or sake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove chicken pieces from bowl, reserving the marinade, and dry the chicken well with paper towels. Heat 1½ teaspoons of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Place chicken in pot skin side down (do not crowd -- brown the chicken in 2 batches if necessary, using the remaining 1½ teaspoons of oil) and cook without moving them until skin is crisp and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces and cook until second side is golden brown, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to a large plate. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin. Pour all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot.

Return pot to burner, adjust heat to medium, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ¾ cup of water and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen drippings. Add the reserved marinade, ginger, orange zest, and remaining 2 tablespoons of sherry or sake, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and accumulated juices and the chestnuts to the pot, pushing chicken down into the sauce, return to a boil, reduce heat to very low, cover pot, and simmer, turning chicken once, until chicken is tender, about 45 minutes.

Fish the ginger and orange zest out of the pot and discard. Stir the cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of water, add the mixture to the pot, and stir until sauce thickens slightly and becomes glossy. Add the sesame oil and about ½ cup of the scallions, stir to mix, and serve at once, garnishing each portion with the remaining scallions.

Rice Pilaf with Fennel and Chestnuts

Serves 4

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

½ medium fennel bulb, cored and very thinly sliced (about 1½ cups), plus 3 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds for garnish

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 cup basmati rice

1¾ cups boiling water

½ cup golden raisins

6 ounces roasted, peeled chestnuts (about 1 cup), roughly chopped

In a large, straight-sided saute pan set over medium heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the onion, fennel, and ½ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the fennel seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rice, stir to mix with the vegetables, and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Season the boiling water with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste, pour it into the rice mixture, stir to mix, cover pan, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Off heat, remove cover, scatter raisins and chestnuts over rice, line cover with clean kitchen towel, replace cover, and allow pilaf to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the cover, fluff the pilaf with a fork, and serve at once, sprinkling with the fennel fronds to garnish.

Send comments or suggestions to Adam Ried at cooking@globe.com.