A Maltese recipe - Imbuljuta

This is a family recipe going back a squillion years. My grandmother used to make this and I suspect her mother gave her the recipe - my mum gave me this recipe recently and it worked a treat. This is for a sweet chestnut soup which is so nice in the winter, curled up on the sofa watching the telly. You eat it out of a mug to be authentic, with a spoon.

 

Ingredients

500g dried, shelled chestnuts, soaked at least overnight, preferably 24 hours

500ml boiling water

1 tangerine, finely chopped - skin and all

1 tsp sugar

10 cloves

6 teaspoons cocoa powder (or to taste, maybe you can use less and add more as you go along)

1 stick of cinnamon

125g raisins

1 tot of anisette (such as sambuca or ouzo)

1. Place the chestnuts in a pot.

2. Dissolve the cocoa powder and sugar in the hot water.

3. Add all the other ingredients, bring to the boil then lower to a simmer.

4. Simmer the imbuljuta for about 2 hours or until chestnuts are tender.

5. Add the anisette, mix well, serve hot or cold (but it's much nicer hot).

It tastes better the next day!