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Home > Restaurants > Recipes > Sautéed Leeks and Chestnuts

Sautéed Leeks and Chestnuts

Provided by: Chef Odette Fada
Served at: SD26

  • Type of Dish: Sides
  • Servings: 4
  • Cuisine: American, Italian
  • Special Requests: Healthy, Vegetarian/Vegan
  • Reader Rating: Write a Review

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Chestnuts may be best known locally as street-cart bait for Fifth Avenue holiday shoppers, and for the extra-starchy boost they give to Thanksgiving stuffing, but those are far from the only ways to go. Take, for instance, this simple but delicious side dish from SD26 chef Odette Fada. Although it’s the perfect autumnal accompaniment to pan-roasted chicken or guinea hen, it’s so good you may find yourself eating it straight from the skillet.

Ingredients

12 chestnuts
Salt
4 leeks, washed and trimmed
1 tbs. whole black peppercorns
White-wine vinegar, as needed
4 ounces butter

Instructions

(1) With a paring knife, carve an x in the flat side of each chestnut to facilitate peeling. In a pot, boil chestnuts in salted water for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, depending on size. Drain and (2) remove shells and inner peels. In a large pot, bring enough water to cover the leeks to a boil. Add salt, peppercorns, and approximately 2 ounces of vinegar per quart of water, then add leeks. Cook leeks until tender, approximately 10 minutes, and remove from pot. Cut leeks into 2-inch segments. In a sauté pan, melt the butter, and (3) add the chestnuts and leeks. Sauté until warm. (Published 2009)