Stewed Chestnuts

Ingredients

• 40 whole Spanish chestnuts
• 3/4 pint beef or veal gravy
• salt
• cayenne
• thickening
• fresh lemon-rind
• good butter
• 2 leaves bay-leaves
• 1 slice lean ham

Instructions

1. Strip the outer rind from the chestnuts.
2. Throw them into a large saucepan of hot water and bring to the point of boiling.
3. When the second skin parts from them easily, lift them out and plunge into plenty of cold water.
4. Peel and wipe the chestnuts dry.
5. Optionally, flour the chestnuts lightly and brown them in a little good butter in a separate pan.
6. Put the prepared chestnuts into a stewpan or bright saucepan with the cold beef or veal gravy, enough to nearly cover them.
7. If desired, lay a slice of lean ham under the chestnuts and add bay-leaves.
8. Stew them very gently for three-quarters of an hour to a full hour, until quite tender but unbroken.
9. Add salt, cayenne, and thickening if required.
10. If using fresh lemon-rind, add thin strips to the gravy.
11. Remove the ham if used and serve the chestnuts in their gravy.