Lamb Stew with Chestnuts

This recipe is adapted from a Turkish cookbook, Sefarad Yemekleri. Its origins, however, are Spanish. The sweet and starchy chestnuts pair equally well with lamb or beef. Most of the work is in peeling the chestnuts. I have found that the ease of peeling chestnuts varies from batch to batch, with some a breeze to peel and some maddeningly frustrating. So if you can find vacuum-packed, peeled and cooked chestnuts, use them instead. If not, be patient and have a very sharp knife and as