Osechi Kuri Kinton (栗金団, candied chestnut and sweet potato mash)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Fine sieve or potato ricer
• •Wooden spatula
• •Small square of cheesecloth or tea infuser for the kuchinashi
• •Lacquer jubako for osechi, or a small lacquer bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the potatoes

   Peel the satsumaimo thickly until the pale yellow flesh is clean, then cut it into rounds about 2 cm thick. The skin and the layer just beneath it can carry bitterness and gray color, so don't be timid with the peeler. Put the pieces in plenty of cold water and soak for 20 minutes, changing the water once if it clouds heavily.

   Soaking is the small step that keeps the mash clear-tasting and bright. You are washing away what would dull the gold.
2. 2

   Color the simmer

   Tie the cracked kuchinashi pod in a small square of cheesecloth, or place it in a tea infuser. Drain the potatoes, put them in a pot, cover with fresh cold water by 2 cm, and add the kuchinashi. Bring up gently and simmer until a skewer slides through without resistance, about 15 to 20 minutes.

   Kuchinashi gives color, not sweetness. A sachet keeps the small seeds from scattering through the mash, which saves you a ridiculous little fishing expedition later.
3. 3

   Mash while hot

   Remove the kuchinashi and drain the potatoes well. While they are still hot, pass them through a fine sieve or mash them very thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Hot potato breaks down cleanly; once it cools, it turns stubborn and the finished kinton becomes lumpy no matter how politely you ask it to behave.

4. 4

   Cook the kinton

   Return the mash to a clean pot. Add the chestnut syrup, sugar, mirin, and salt, then cook over low heat, stirring steadily with a wooden spatula. The mixture should loosen first, then thicken and turn glossy, pulling softly from the bottom of the pot. Taste as you go, because bottled chestnut syrup varies. The salt should not announce itself; it only keeps the sweetness from going flat.

   Stop while the paste is still slightly softer than you want. It firms as it cools, and osechi is eaten cool or at room temperature.
5. 5

   Fold in chestnuts

   Take the pot off the heat and fold in the whole candied chestnuts gently, keeping them intact. If the chestnuts are very large, halve a few and leave the rest whole for a better rhythm in the box. Let the kuri kinton cool completely before packing it into the jubako or a small lacquer bowl.

6. 6

   Pack for osechi

   Spoon the cooled kinton into one compartment of the jubako in a low mound, showing several chestnuts on top. Don't press it flat. A little height catches the light, and open space around it makes the gold read clearly. Serve cool or at room temperature.

Chef Tips

• •Choose satsumaimo with smooth skin, good weight, and no soft spots. The sweet potato is the dish, so a tired one gives you tired kinton, no matter how much syrup you add.
• •If you cannot find kuchinashi, leave it out rather than dyeing the mash with something loud. The color will be softer, but the dish will still be honest.
• •Use the syrup from kuri no kanroni, candied chestnuts, before adding extra sugar. Some jars are very sweet, and the best kinton tastes mellow, not like candy shouted through a lacquer box.
• •For the smoothest texture, pass the hot potato through a fine sieve. A potato ricer is the sensible stand-in. A blender makes it gluey, which is efficiency committing a small crime.

Advance Preparation

• •Kuri kinton is made for advance preparation. Make it 1 to 2 days ahead, cool it completely, and refrigerate it in a covered container.
• •Bring it back to cool room temperature before serving. Stir gently once if the surface has tightened, then pack it into the jubako.
• •It keeps 3 days refrigerated. Because it is sweet and dense, pack it cleanly and keep it cold until the New Year table is set.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 175g)