Marrons glacés are candied chestnuts popular in France and other regions during the holiday season. They take several days to cook and are expensive but have a unique taste. Chestnuts have been a valuable source of protein since the Middle Ages and are still popular today in various forms, including marron glacé. The recipe emerged in the 16th century around Lyon and involves peeling and blanching chestnuts before dipping them in a sugar syrup and drying them. To make them, chestnuts are blanched, peeled, and then boiled in a sugar syrup for several days until the syrup is absorbed, and then dried in an oven.
Marrons glacés are chestnuts that are candied in a syrup solution and then dried. They are hugely popular in France, a nation of avid chestnut consumers, and can be found in other regions of the world as well, especially during the holiday season. A true marron glacé takes several days to cook from start to finish, making it an expensive delicacy, though some people cheat on the cooking process; fans of this traditional French food say they can taste the difference.
People have been eating chestnuts for a long time in Europe. During the Middle Ages, chestnuts were ground into flour in many parts of Europe and nuts were a valuable source of protein for people who could not afford meat or raise animals. The rich, nutty flavor of chestnuts has continued to be popular after more nutritious foods have become more accessible, and roasted chestnuts are a common offering in many European countries today, along with chestnut-flavored ice cream, chestnut desserts minced and marron glacé.
The marron glacé recipe appears to have emerged in the 16th century, around Lyon. To prepare this dish, chestnuts are peeled and blanched to remove their fibrous membranes before being dipped in a sugar syrup. The syrup and chestnuts are periodically heated to aid in the absorption of the syrup and when all the syrup has evaporated or been absorbed, the chestnuts are dried. The finished product is a chestnut with a sugary outer coating and a rich, candied interior. A marron glacé can be a delicious food as it is, and these candied chestnuts are also used as a side dish for desserts, especially around the holidays.
To make chestnuts glacé, start by peeling about five pounds (one kilogram) of chestnuts, then blanching them in lightly salted water to loosen their membranes. Peel the membranes from the chestnuts, discarding the water, and set them aside. In a heavy saucepan, heat a quart (one quart) of water along with two heaping cups of sugar and a crushed vanilla bean until all the sugar is dissolved, then simmer for five minutes. Add the chestnuts, bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Then cover the saucepan and let it sit undisturbed for 12 hours.
After 12 hours, heat the mixture again, bringing it to a boil for one minute and then covering the saucepan and letting it sit for 24 hours. At the end of this time, heat again, keep boiling for one minute, cover and leave for 24 hours. Repeat this process until all of the syrup has been absorbed, then lay the brown glacés to dry in a hot oven.
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