Chestnut Flour Cake (Castagnaccio)

La storia di questo piatto

Castagnaccio is the quiet sweetness of Tuscan chestnut country, where autumn is ground to a fine flour and carried home as a flat, dark, humble cake. It holds the woods in a single slice: resin, earth and rosemary, with no sugar to hide behind.

Ingredienti

• 250 g Chestnut flour
• 350 ml Cold water
• 60 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 40 g Pine nuts
• 30 g Raisins
• 2 sprigs (leaves only) Fresh rosemary
• 2 g Fine salt
• 20 g Shelled walnuts

Preparazione

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (static/conventional). Place the raisins in a small bowl with lukewarm water and let them soften for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the chestnut flour into a wide bowl to prevent lumps.
2. Gradually pour the cold water over the flour, whisking from the centre outwards, until you obtain a smooth, fluid batter resembling a light cream. Add the fine salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil (about 30 ml). Let the batter rest for 15 minutes while the raisins soak: the flour hydrates and any lumps dissolve.
3. Drain the raisins and squeeze them well. Add them to the batter together with half of the pine nuts and half of the walnuts, roughly chopped. Grease a shallow 28-30 cm diameter baking tin with 1 tablespoon of olive oil (about 15 ml), pour in the mixture and level it to a thickness of about 1.5 cm: if it is thicker, the centre will stay gummy.
4. Scatter the remaining pine nuts and walnuts over the surface, together with the rosemary leaves stripped from the sprigs, then drizzle with a little olive oil (about 15 ml). Bake at 190°C, in an already hot oven, for about 35 minutes: it is ready when the surface cracks and the edges begin to pull away from the tin.
5. Remove from the oven and let the castagnaccio cool in the tin for about 20 minutes: it should not be served straight from the oven, as resting allows it to settle, keeping it firm outside and moist inside. If you like, serve it with fresh ricotta (omit for a vegan version).