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Appetizer: Chestnut Ravioli w/ Sage Browned Butter

Source of Recipe

Gourmet Magazine


List of Ingredients

1 cup roasted, shelled and skinned chestnuts
2 ounces sliced pancetta or bacon, fine chopped
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1 large clov garlic, smashed
1/4 cup water
1 Granny Smith apple
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 12 ounce package round wonton wrappers
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage


Recipe

Coarsely chop the chestnuts. Cook the pancetta in 3 tablespoons butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp on edges, about 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until onion is softened. Adds chestnuts and water and simmer, stirring, until liquid is reduced by half. Discard the garlic. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and mash to a coarse paste with a fork. Peel half of the apple and cut enough of the peeled half into 1/4-inch dice to measure 3 tablespoons. Reserve remaining unpeeled apple.

Stir diced, peeled apple into the chestnut mixture with Parmesan, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Put 1 won ton wrapper on a work surface, keeping the remaining wrappers in plastic wrap, and mound 1 scant tablespoon of filling in center. Lightly brush the edges of the wrapper with water and top with a second wrapper, pressing down around filling to force out air. Trim excess dough with a 2 3/4-inch round cookie cutter and seal edges well, pressing them together with your fingertips. Transfer the ravioli to a dry kitchen towel, then make more in the same manner.

Cut enough of the unpeeled apple into 1/4-inch dice to measure 3 tablespoons and toss with lemon juice. Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides and butter begins to turn brown. Stir in sage and cook, stirring, until sage is crisp and butter is golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add ravioli to a 6-quart pot of salted boiling water, then cook at a slow boil, stirring gently occasionally, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully transfer ravioli with a slotted spoon to a colander to drain. Slide ravioli into sage butter and cook over moderate heat, stirring gently, 1 minute. Sprinkle ravioli with unpeeled apple and season with pepper. Yield: 8 first course servings