Chestnut mashed potatoes are a delicious twist on the classic side dish, blending the earthy sweetness and nuttiness of chestnuts with rich and creamy mashed potatoes. This unique combination enhances the depth of flavor of both the nuts and potatoes creating a sweeter and more refined side dish. Mashed potatoes with chestnuts is a perfect accompaniment for fall and winter meals, especially during the holiday season.
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Which chestnuts to use
This recipe can be made with either fresh or store bought vacuum packed pre-peeled chestnuts. When in season (autumn or fall) and when having access to a chestnut tree (genus Castanea) with edible chestnuts, this will be the best choice. Although the preparation will take longer, the taste will be so much better.
After foraging for the chestnuts in the forest, you can either decide to boil the chestnuts or to roast the chestnuts before mashing them with the potatoes.
The easier way is to purchase fresh chestnuts in the grocery store or at a farmers market or buy vacuum packed pre-cooked chestnuts and even pre-cooked frozen ones. This is the best option when not in season or for gaining time, as peeling chestnuts takes quite a long time.
A can of chestnut purée is also a great alternative, just make sure not to buy a sweetened purée as this will result in a too sweet final dish.
Which ingredients to use
- Potatoes: Starchy or medium starch potatoes is the best choice for making mashed potatoes. Yukon Gold or Russet are the preferred type of potatoes. Use either or a combination of both for the best results.
- Chestnuts: Use either fresh chestnuts which you can roast or boil at home, pre cooked vacuum packed or frozen chestnuts or even a can of chestnut purée.
- Milk: Whole milk provides a rich and creamy flavor and is the preferred choice. According to personal preference you can also use skimmed milk, half-and-half or any other type of milk. Just keep in mind that the end result and flavor will be different than when using whole milk.
- Butter: Adding butter makes the final product rich and creamy. Use unsalted butter for better control of salt which you can add to taste separately.
- Seasoning: Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. A touch of nutmeg enhances the depth of flavor and adds something more to the dish. Preferably use freshly ground nutmeg for a more intense and aromatic taste.
How to prepare the chestnuts
If you are going to use pre-cooked vacuum packed or frozen chestnuts, you can skip this step. When using fresh chestnuts, you can either roast or boil them. Roasting the chestnuts will provide a delicious smoky and more nutty taste. But they will be more difficult to peel.
Boiling will be the preferred method, as they will become softer, easier to peel but slightly less pronounced in flavor.
A more detailed and in-depth explanation is described in these posts:
- How to roast chestnuts at home in the pan or in the oven
- Boiled chestnuts and how to cook and peel them
Here is a brief explanation, but details are in the other posts:
- To score: Use a pairing knife to score one side of each chestnut over the entire length. Just be sure to make a cut through the outer skin of the nut.
- To roast in the pan: Place a skillet on medium heat and dry roast your nuts for 10 to 15 minutes until they are all soft. Stir frequently while roasting.
- To roast in the oven: Place the scored chestnuts on an oven tray and place in a pre-heated oven (390°F or 200°C) to roast for 20 minutes or until soft.
- To boil: Add the scored chestnuts to a pot with boiling water and cook for 20 minutes or until very soft.
- Peel: After your nuts are cooked, boiled or roasted, peel them while they are still hot. This makes it easier to remove the peel. Remove the outer harder peel, it’s not necessary to also remove the thin brown skin under the peel.
Tips to make the best mashed potatoes with chestnuts
- Use the correct type of potato. Don’t use waxy potatoes as they will not give a good, soft and creamy mashed potato result.
- Cut the potatos in similar sized chunks to allow even cooking. The total time of boiling will depend on the thickness of the diced potatoes. I usually cut them into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks.
- If the chestnuts are not recently cooked, add them to the boiling potatoes in the last minute or 2 of the boiling time, so they can warm up and soften even more.
- Make sure all the water is drained from the mashed potatoes. After draining, let the pot with potatoes sit for a minute or more to let the moisture evaporate.
- Add some warm milk to the potatoes for a creamier texture.
- Mash with a potato masher to the desired consistency. Usually I love very smooth potato mash, however, it’s nice to keep it slightly more chunky in this case to be able to experience the texture and flavor of the chestnuts better.
What to serve with chestnut mashed potatoes
Basically anything you would normally serve with traditional mashed potatoes. However, adding the chestnuts takes this dish to a gourmet level, making it very suitable for serving during the holidays or any other celebration.
Consider serving this chestnut recipe during Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year or any other festive gathering.
It works really well with this delicious beef stew, this festive wild boar stew and this vegetarian pumpkin stew, all mixing the sauce with the mash.
These fall recipes with apple and cider are also a perfect match. Have a look at these Normandy pork chops and Normandy chicken recipes.
And why not turn this traditional cottage pie into a fall recipe by replacing the classic mashed potatoes with this chestnut mash recipe.
And last but not least, serve with grilled fish. I made it with salmon but any other fish tastes great with this recipe.
More chestnut recipes to try
- Mushroom and chestnut soup
- Roasted chestnuts and cauliflower soup
- Roasted chestnut dip with tahini
- Pesto with chestnuts and arugula
Chestnut Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450 grams) potatoes Yukon Gold or Russet
- 1 pound (450 grams) chestnuts cooked and peeled
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk slightly warmed
- 3 tablespoons (40 grams) unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and dice the potatoes in equal sized chunks. You can leave the peel according to personal preference if you don't mind the skin in the mash. I often leave it in.
- Place the potatoes in a medium sized pot. Cover with cold water (about 1 inch over the potatoes) and add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and once boiling, reduce to a medium simmer.
- Cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender and soft. Pierce with a fork to test.
- Drain all the water and put the potatoes back in the warm pot. Shake the pot a few times so all the moisture can evaporate.
- Add the chestnuts, butter, nutmeg and half of the milk. Use a potato masher to mash the chestnuts and potatoes to your desired consistency. Add more milk and butter(if necessary) if the mash is too dry.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Chestnuts: If the chestnuts are cold or not cooked enough, you can add them to the pot with the boiling potatoes during the last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking. They will absorb the heat and become softer.
- Peel the potatoes or not: It’s up to you if you prefer to make mash including the potato peel. If using unpeeled, make sure to properly rinse and scrub the potatoes before dicing.
- Milk: You’ll achieve a better result making the mashed potatoes using warm milk. Heat the milk up in a separate pot or in the microwave to lukewarm temperature.
