Chestnut pancakes with ricotta and honey
“I was in Eurobin, in north-eastern Victoria, a few weeks ago as the first chestnuts of the season fell from the trees.”
- 250g of chestnut flour
- salt
- 250 ml water
- 300g of very fresh ricotta
- milk
- virgin olive oil
- honey
A good chestnut should peel easily once cooked and have great flavour. There are certain varieties to ask the greengrocer for by name. De Coppi is regarded as the best roaster. It is easy to peel and has a rich, sweet flavour with the typical wrinkly flesh of European chestnuts. Bouche de betizac is a new, early-season French hybrid. Other good varieties are Purton's pride, red Spanish and Lucenti.
Method
Sieve chestnut flour (available at Simon Johnson stores), add a pinch of salt and 250ml water. Work the mixture in a bowl with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth, fairly liquid paste. Cover and rest for at least 2 hours. Meanwhile, mash 300g of very fresh ricotta with a fork, add 2 tbsp of milk and mix quickly. Ladle some pancake mixture into a hot, non-stick pan that has been brushed with a little extra virgin olive oil. Cook on both sides and repeat until all the batter has been used.
To serve
Spread the ricotta on the pancakes and drizzle with good honey.
Serves 6.
