500g peeled chestnuts 600ml milk 1 cup (250ml) sugar 2 vanilla beans

1. Cook chestnuts slowly in the milk with the sugar and vanilla until all liquid has been absorbed (this should take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours and the mixture should look like thick porridge). Be careful to stir it often in the later stages.
2. Allow the mixture to cool.
3. Remove the vanilla beans.
4. Press the mixture through a potato ricer or mouli (special ricers are available from gourmet food shops) to create a smooth puree.

Sauce:

500ml milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup (125ml) sugar
1 vanilla bean

1. Cream the egg yolks and sugar in a stainless steel bowl.
2. Bring the milk to the boil with the vanilla bean and pour onto the eggs, whisking constantly.
3. Cook over a boiling pot of water until the mixture is thick.

To Serve:

1. Press the mixture again through a ricer onto a plate. Long spaghetti like strands will form that pile over each other to resemble a mountain.
2. Pool the sauce around the base of your 'mountain'.
3. Top with whipped cream and shavings of chocolate.