Castagnaccio

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly oil a 20 cm round baking tin or small skillet. Soak the raisins in the warm water for 10 minutes so they plump and do not scorch during baking. Strip the rosemary leaves from the stems and roughly chop half of them, leaving the rest whole for a more rustic finish.

2. 2

   Sift the chestnut flour into a bowl to break up any lumps; chestnut flour clumps easily and sifting helps give Castagnaccio its characteristic smooth, dense texture rather than a gritty one. Add the fine salt.

3. 3

   Pour in the water little by little, whisking constantly until you have a smooth, pourable batter with no dry pockets. Whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil. The batter should be looser than pancake batter and settle quickly when the bowl is tapped.

4. 4

   Drain the raisins well and stir half of them into the batter along with half of the pine nuts and the chopped rosemary. Mixing some garnish into the batter distributes flavor through the cake while keeping the top attractive.

5. 5

   Pour the batter into the prepared tin and level it gently. Castagnaccio should bake as a thin cake, about 1.5 cm deep, not a tall one. Scatter the remaining raisins, remaining pine nuts, and the rest of the rosemary over the surface, then drizzle with the remaining olive oil.

6. 6

   Bake for 25 minutes, or until the surface is set, lightly crackled, and matte rather than wet. The edges may darken slightly, which is traditional, but the cake should not be hard. A skewer inserted in the center should come out mostly clean, with just a little moist crumb.

7. 7

   Let the Castagnaccio rest in the tin for 5 minutes to firm up, then slice and serve warm or at room temperature. It is traditionally served plain, as its chestnut flavor is naturally sweet and earthy.

Nutrition per serving

Notes

• •For the most authentic texture, do not add sugar; traditional Castagnaccio relies on the natural sweetness of chestnut flour and raisins.
• •If your chestnut flour tastes slightly bitter, it may be old; fresh chestnut flour should taste sweet, nutty, and earthy.
• •A dark metal tin gives better edge color than glass or ceramic.
• •This cake pairs well with a small glass of Vin Santo, espresso, or unsweetened tea.

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