Definition: brisolée

For a long time, chestnuts were known as the poor man's potato. They fed a large part of the European population, but were considered of no gastronomic interest. Today, this fruit has its own festival, which brings together tens of thousands of people every year in Fully in the Lower Valais. The village has a magnificent 12-hectare chestnut grove open to the public, the largest in the Alps. Visitors can stroll through it, admiring the hundred-year-old trees, but also, and above all, freely gather the chestnuts that litter the ground to cook roast chestnuts, also known as brisolée. This rustic dish, which has become very fashionable, is usually roasted in a brisoloir, a pan with holes in it, or, for the more sophisticated, in a washing machine drum that is rotated over the fire.
Preparation couldn't be easier. Split the chestnuts with a knife and cook them for about 20 minutes over a wood fire or, for city dwellers, in the oven. Serve hot with butter, cheese, dried meat, grapes, pears or apple pie. Tradition dictates that you drink must with them, but there's nothing to stop you from choosing from the Valais wine specialities.

Important note: chestnuts are often referred to as marrons. But be careful not to confuse them with true marrons. Chestnut trees grow easily in towns, but their fruit is not edible, whereas tasty chestnuts only grow in forests or green spaces.