Despite the cold weather, Christmas markets are packed with people. I love Christmas markets. The aromas in the air are just amazing; especially hot wine and roasted chestnuts. Delicious! And those roasted chestnuts inspired me to make a celery marroni tarte. Marroni are the bigger sized chestnuts.
There is no rule, that for St. Nicholas and Christmas everything should be sweet and loaded with sugar and chocolate, right?
I thought this celery marroni tarte would be a great dish for a festive table. Don’t you think? It is special, delicious, rich in flavours and beautiful. As beautiful as my last colourful tarte with carrots. However, I used the marroni not only for the topping but also for the dough. I roasted them in the oven. Roasted ones taste so much better than cooked ones Which ones are your favourite?
For the filling, I decided for celery. The aromatic flavour is a little strong but it makes a perfect combination with cottage cheese and parsley. It tastes fresh and fabulous. And I also added an egg to it.
I suggest starting with the marroni. Roasting and peeling them takes quite some time. And the shortcrust pastry also needs 30 minutes of rest in the fridge.
Ingredients for a (Ø 20 cm) celery marroni tarte:
- 500 g marroni (4-5 marroni are for the dough)
Shortcrust pastry:
- 130 g flour
- 90 g butter (cold, cubed)
- 3 Tbsp iced water
- 4-5 marroni (roasted, mashed)
- salt
- ½ tsp nutmeg
Filling:
- 250-300 g celery root
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp cottage cheese
- 3 parsley stems (fresh, chopped)
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- salt and pepper
Glaze:
- 20 g butter
- 1/3 tsp nutmeg
Start with preheating the oven to 200º C. With a sharp paring knife, make a cut (length- or crosswise) just enough to get through the shell. This cut will prevent the marroni from “exploding” and it will make the peeling process easier.
Then, arrange them on a baking sheet, sprinkle them with some water and put in the oven for 30 minutes. While roasting, give them a little shake at halftime and sprinkle with some more water. After 30 minutes you might try one of the marroni (the bigger ones) to check if they are ready.
When they are roasted, remove them from the oven and let them sit for a few minutes. Then, carefully peel them keeping the piece whole.
Furthermore, prepare the dough. In a larger bowl, mix flour, cold butter, salt and cold water. I suggest starting with a hand mixer (using the dough hooks) and then to continue with your hands. Now add the finely chopped or mashed marroni (4-5) and knead well for one minute. Then form a ball or a thicker disc, wrap it in a transparent foil and put in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
In the meantime peel and cut the celery. Put to cook until tender. Then drain and purée it. When still warm, add the cottage cheese, egg, nutmeg and the parsley. Mix and season well.
Preheat the oven, once again, to 200º C. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured working surface. Try to make it 3 mm thick and large enough to cover your tarte form.
Next, grease the tarte form and lay the dough into the form. With your fingers, press it around the bottom and on the sides, in order to fit perfectly in the form. Remove the dough in excess (I made smaller rolls with the same filling) and prick the dough in the form, using a fork. Put to bake for 10 minutes.
Once the dough is half-baked, remove it from the oven and fill it with the celery filling. Place the marroni on top and put back to bake for around 30 more minutes or until the edges turn golden brown.
In conclusion, when the tarte is baked, turn off the oven, slightly open the oven door and leave the tarte to rest for 10 minutes. In the meantime, melt the butter for the glaze. Mix in the nutmeg and apply it with a brush on the tarte edges and marroni.
Serve this fabulous, rustic celery marroni tarte to your family and friends. Maybe along with a nice glass of white wine. And if you have some marroni left, they make a great winter and festive snack.
Enjoy!
