Parisian inspiration on the table - roasted chestnuts. How to cook chestnuts yourself

Calories: Not specified
Cooking time: 60 min

Many have tried chestnuts baked over a fire. They are always cut beforehand so that they do not explode during heat treatment. Chestnuts cooked over a fire are a great appetizer or snack, reminiscent of nuts. Only they are eaten hot, removing the scorched peel.
Few people know that chestnuts can also be baked in the oven or boiled in water. Boiled chestnuts are just as tasty as those cooked over a fire and can be served as an appetizer on their own or used as an ingredient in many interesting European recipes. Look at this simple one.
Here is a step by step guide on how to cook chestnuts. If you want to surprise your friends and loved ones with an interesting unusual dish, you should learn how to cook chestnuts in their skins at home.

We will need:

- 0.5 kg. chestnuts
- about 2 liters of water,
- 1 tsp salt,
- Bay leaf optional.

Recipe with photo step by step:

Wash the chestnuts thoroughly. Then, with a sharp knife, each chestnut must be cut "along the equator" from a more rounded side. Not around the entire perimeter, but only on the curved side, slightly capturing at the edges.
Be careful not to cut yourself. For reliability, you can fix the chestnut with a nutcracker.
You need to cut only the thick peel and a layer of thin skin inside. At the same time, try not to hurt the pulp of the chestnut itself.

Now that all the chestnuts are cut, you can consider that the hardest part is over. It remains only to properly cook the chestnuts. I put them in a bowl of cold water. The water should completely cover the chestnuts. We put the pan on the fire, add salt and bay leaf. Bring water with chestnuts to a boil.

Boil the chestnuts for about 40 minutes if the chestnuts are large. If average, then half an hour will be enough.

During the cooking process, the water will turn dark brown, and properly cut chestnuts will open wide at the cut point, exposing the yellowish-white flesh.

Drain the water from the finished chestnuts, cool slightly before serving, so as not to burn your hands. Pay your attention to this unusual one in the form of chestnuts.

Peeling boiled chestnuts is more convenient while they are hot and damp, so the peel is removed along with the inner skin. After cooling, the skin sticks to the chestnut and it will be problematic to remove it.
Properly cut chestnuts are very easy to peel, they are like pistachios - already a third open.
Serve boiled chestnuts as an appetizer, snack or as an ingredient in a variety of dishes. Now you know how to cook chestnuts in their skins at home, so you can surprise your guests with an unusual dish.

If you want an unusual dish, you can buy chestnuts and fry them. You will get an original tasty and quite versatile dish. For Europeans, it has long been both an independent type of snack and a savory addition to salads, soups and side dishes. Only raw these nuts are not eaten. In our country, not everyone understands how to roast chestnuts so as not to spoil the ingredient.

Knowledgeable housewives and experienced chefs say that there is nothing complicated in the process of cooking chestnuts.

How to fry in a pan?

When the nuts are purchased, they need to be prepared. The edible fruit has only one flat surface and is small compared to the wild horse chestnut. Raw chestnut fruits should be stored in dark and cool rooms, pantries. It should be remembered that when frying do not use Teflon pans.

First way

Before frying chestnuts in a pan, the selected raw materials will need to be processed by sorting through the nuts and getting rid of the dented, cracked and spoiled ones. Each whole fruit is washed with a dish sponge.

Tip: You can check the suitability of chestnut beans by pouring them into a wide bowl of water. An edible chestnut will surely sink, unfit for food fruits will emerge.

The selected raw materials are soaked for 15 minutes in cool water. Nuts are wiped with a soft towel or clean cloth. So that the shell does not burst during the frying process, and the products do not deteriorate, you will need to make several piercings of the fruit surfaces with a fork, knife or awl.

Tip: The pan is chosen deep so that its walls and bottom are thick.

There are some tricks on how to properly roast chestnuts. There should be a lot of oil in the pan so that it covers the nuts almost completely. To prevent the product from drying out during frying, you will need to take thick wet wipes (a few pieces are enough).

When chestnuts are fried, it happens that the raw material explodes, in order to prevent the product from being scattered around the kitchen, a lid should lie on the pan. The burner is switched on to medium heat. The length of time when the fruits are fried should not exceed half an hour. Sometimes 25 minutes is enough.

How best to roast fresh chestnuts, professionals know. They shake the container closed with a lid several times during the cooking process. But if you don’t want to take risks, you can take a slotted spoon or a wooden spatula, which will interfere with the products.

Paper towels are laid out on a plate, ready-made nuts are poured on them. When they cool down a bit, you can use it. The fruits are peeled by light pressure on the shell. The peel that has begun to crack is easy to remove.

Second way

The fastest and easiest recipe, when the nuts need to be fried for only a few minutes, suggests that water is poured into the pan (a third of a glass), fruits are poured into it. When the water boils, continue to cook the product over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the fruits can be easily squeezed, they are ready.

In cooking, there is a nuance which chestnuts can be roasted without water. Young nuts are suitable for this. A dry frying pan is warmed up, fruits are poured into it, fried at medium fire for about 30 minutes, cooled, peeled and partitioned, and can be served for a hundred, sprinkled with a pinch of sugar or salt.

How to cook in the microwave?

There is a wonderful recipe for roasting chestnuts in the microwave. At the maximum power set in the microwave, products are baked for no more than five minutes. Beforehand, salted water is poured into a special dish for a microwave oven, and chestnuts, before being put to fry, must be cut from the sides.

You can effectively fry nuts, be sure to stir them in the process every one and a half minutes. To get delicious, well-cooked products, you need to know how to roast healthy chestnuts at home according to the rules.

How to fry in the oven?

You should take into account the features of how to roast chestnuts in the oven. The stove must be heated to 210 degrees. Fruit incisions are made cruciform, as deep as possible, and on the flat side. This is to allow steam to escape.

To lubricate the sheet, corn or sunflower oil is taken. The nuts are stacked in one row in the middle of the baking sheet strictly cuts up. Chestnuts are sprinkled, for which clean water is used. The fruits are baked for 15 to 20 minutes, during which time they should soften. After every two minutes, you will need to move the product to prevent burning. The oven turns off when the chestnut shells begin to crack.

In three minutes, the fruits should cool. For proper removal of the shell, each copy should be wrapped with a cotton towel, pressed on the fruit and wait about five minutes, then remove the peel. The inner shell is also taken out and removed.

Peel the chestnuts within a ten-minute period after the end of frying, while the beans are still warm. Later, the shell hardens, it will not be so easy to do the manipulations.

Tip: Nuts that cannot be peeled are re-roasted in the oven for five minutes, try to peel. Do not cut them with a knife.

After peeling the nuts, you can add a few cherry tomatoes, sweet pepper fruits, a little arugula and hard, undercooked pasta to them.

How to fry in an air fryer?

There are many recipes for roasting chestnuts at home. In an air grill, it is possible to roast chestnuts, as in an oven. The taste of nuts is about the same as that of baked ones. Beans with half-centimeter or centimeter cuts are laid out on a sheet and in a special pan. The temperature of the device should be set to 180 degrees. It will take about half an hour to fry.

Tip: If you sprinkle the fruits on the lower grill of the air grill along the foil, and cover the top with foil, you get the effect of a double boiler.

In most European countries, roasted chestnuts are a street treat. Trees with these miraculous fruits grow just on the streets of cities, and therefore any tourist can try the dish at a very affordable price. With us, you can taste the taste of this delicate nut only in a restaurant, or try to cook it yourself at home. But how to roast chestnuts?

The taste of roasted chestnuts is quite unusual and not everyone will like it, like any other product. But it is worth a try, especially since it is not only tasty, but also very useful. The main nuance is to learn how to cook them correctly.

So, we master the art of cooking roasted chestnuts.

Chestnut contains a large amount of vegetable protein, and eating this product is very beneficial. It is especially indispensable for adherents of a vegetarian diet, since it is able to fully provide the body with protein, which they exclude by refusing meat.

But, despite all the benefits of chestnut-nut, there are a number of contraindications to its use. Therefore, before eating it, you need to pay attention to your own health and evaluate all the pros and cons.

Positive qualities of chestnuts

So, the following features belong to the beneficial properties of the nut.

High energy value. Two, three chestnuts can be full, and not remember the feeling of hunger for half a day. A good product for those who like to eat at night or before bedtime. You can eat a chestnut before going to bed and sleep peacefully until the morning, full and not afraid for the figure. For people whose constant companions are fatigue and weakness, chestnuts are the best helper.
A great option to diversify the menu. This versatile nut can be roasted, boiled, baked and used in salads. If traditional cereals, pasta and potatoes as a side dish are simply tired, then chestnuts can be prepared as an addition to meat or fish.
It saturates the body with vitamins and microelements without harming a thin waist. As noted above, chestnuts contain a lot of protein, in addition, they are a storehouse of vitamins and minerals. In reasonable quantities, the product will not only benefit, but also help to saturate the body with everything you need during the diet. Athletes can use the product as a source of protein after training.
Generic drug. Chestnut-nut is useful for diseases of the respiratory organs, thrombophlebitis, varicose veins. A decoction of fruits, bark or leaves will help relieve acute symptoms of hemorrhoids and remove skin problems.
It is a source of women's health. For the fair sex, the product is recommended for mastitis, mastopathy.

Contraindications

In any case, if there are the slightest health problems, you should consult your doctor before introducing chestnuts into your diet.

allergies;
poor blood clotting;
acute gastritis and gastric ulcer;
violation of the menstrual cycle;
pregnant women;
low blood pressure;
stool problems;
completeness.

Before you understand how to properly roast chestnuts, you should learn how to choose a nut. There are fruits of edible and inedible plants. It must be remembered that it is impossible to eat any chestnut, since some nuts can even be poisonous.

Traditionally used in cooking:

seed chestnut;
American;
city, or Japanese;
the softest, or Chinese;
chinkapin.

These varieties of chestnuts with a spiky shell are suitable for eating, the color of which must certainly be green. The fruits should be elongated, outwardly similar to an ordinary onion with a small tail.

But the bumpy, round fruits of horse chestnut are better not to even try to eat, because this is at least food poisoning.

How to roast chestnuts at home - the main ways

When the chestnuts are selected, you can start cooking them. Surely no one will be indifferent to the taste of roasted chestnuts. Let's find out how to roast chestnuts at home. There are several ways, but any of them must begin with a sorting of fruits.

First of all, it is necessary to throw out all damaged, dented, cracked or spoiled copies. Good nuts should be thoroughly washed with a sponge and poured into a container of water.

You can cook only nuts that have sunk in the water, those fruits that have surfaced, without pity, are sent to the trash can.

Selected, good fruits must be left in water for at least 15 minutes, then dried with a towel and pierced with a fork so that the shell does not burst during the frying process.

in a frying pan

Roasting chestnuts is easy. This results in a tasty and healthy dish.

A thin and small frying pan is not suitable for frying chestnuts. It is necessary to take a frying pan with thick sides and a bottom and quite roomy.
There should be enough oil so that it completely covers the beans, and it is better to put moistened napkins on top so that the chestnuts do not dry out.
When heated, chestnuts begin to explode, and a lid can keep these delicious nuts from popping out of the pan.
Roast them for about half an hour over medium heat.
In order not to overcook the chestnuts, from time to time it is necessary to shake them during the frying process, but under a closed lid. You can also stir occasionally with a spatula.
You can determine the readiness of a chestnut by simply pressing on it. Ready chestnut will be soft.
Spread the finished product on paper towels to remove excess fat.

In the oven

If you do not know how to roast chestnuts at home, choose the method of cooking them in the oven. Fried in this way, they retain all their useful substances and at the same time do not nourish excess oil.

To do this, you need to perform a number of actions.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Cut or chop the sorted, washed and dried fruits.
Put the prepared product on an oven sheet greased with vegetable oil with the cut up.
Sprinkle the fruits with water and send to bake for no more than 20 minutes.
To prevent the chestnuts from burning, it is necessary to move them periodically.
When the fruit becomes soft, and the shell itself begins to crack easily, you can take out the chestnuts, cool and clean.

Chestnuts are ready! You can serve them as a side dish or on their own.

in the microwave

Another way to cook chestnuts quickly at home is to roast them in the microwave. The process of preparing these tender fruits is the same as in the previous two cases, but they will have to be prepared in two stages.

Put the prepared chestnuts in a deep dish for, cover with wet wipes, put in the microwave for 5 minutes at maximum power. Do not be lazy and stir the nuts every one and a half minutes.
At the second stage, add vegetable oil to the dish and bake for another 15 minutes, stirring at the same frequency.

In air grill

The recipe for cooking chestnuts in an air grill is similar to baking in an oven.

Sort the fruits, soak, dry and cut.
Put good nuts on a baking sheet of an air fryer.
Bake chestnuts for about half an hour at a temperature of 180 degrees.
There is one secret to baking chestnuts in this glass pan - the lower and upper grates must be covered with foil. Then the effect of a double boiler is formed and the nuts do not dry out and become hard.

How to peel roasted chestnuts?

You can peel a chestnut from the shell by simply pressing on it. The shell will begin to fall behind on its own and it is enough just to remove it.

It is necessary to start cleaning immediately after cooking the beans, within ten minutes, since it is much easier to remove the shell from warm nuts. As the chestnut cools, the shell becomes harder and harder to remove.

It is necessary to clean the nut not only from the upper peel, but also from the inner films and membranes.

To make it easier to peel the chestnuts, you can put them on a steam bath for a short time before roasting. They also wrap the finished product in a damp towel to make it easier to clean.

The Italians and the French use a special secret of cleaning ready-made chestnuts - they put them in a bag. This not only makes chestnuts easier to peel, but also stays warm longer.

In order to cook a dish with your own hands at home that will not be inferior to a restaurant one, you should pay attention to some useful recommendations.

Boil the chestnuts for a few minutes before frying.
Be sure to prick or cut each nut. So they will not shoot out of the pan and will be easier to clean.
Spread the beans in the cooking container in only one layer.
You do not need to roast the nuts for a long time so that they do not become hard.
You can store raw chestnuts for a short time, just a couple of days, in a cool place.
You can extend the shelf life of the finished dish by putting it in the freezer.

Conclusion

Chestnut is a wonderful delicacy that is very beneficial for the body and has great nutritional value. As it turns out, these tender beans are not that difficult to cook. At the same time, you can eat it as an independent dish, a side dish, add it to a salad or soup, and even serve it as a dessert.

Such an unusual product will diversify the daily menu and become an exotic highlight of the festive table. It will not only bring joy to your taste buds, but also quickly and permanently satisfy the feeling of hunger.

The phrase "roasted chestnuts" first of all evokes thoughts of Paris, although you can taste this unusually tasty delicacy in many other places in the world. Roasted chestnuts have been eaten by the Chinese for centuries, adored by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and loved by modern Europeans, Americans and Australians. In the modern world, where many boundaries are erased, you can buy chestnuts in a supermarket anywhere in the world. And frying them at home is not at all difficult.

It should be noted that chestnuts growing on the streets of many cities and very decorating them in spring with their candle flowers are an ornamental variety of this plant, the fruits of which are inedible. Chestnuts, which appear in autumn in our markets and shops, grow mainly in the Caucasus, Crimea, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Chestnuts from any of these regions are good if they were picked on time and stored properly.

Quality chestnuts are dark brown in color, large, heavy (if you pick up a nut, you will definitely feel it) and shiny.

How to roast chestnuts
First, they need to be cleaned of the shells (if the fruits were sold with them) and washed thoroughly, preferably with a brush. Then dry on a towel and cook the pan. No additional ingredients other than the fruits themselves are needed.

For roasting chestnuts in countries where they are common, there are special frying pans. Usually they are made of cast iron or its alloys with aluminum. Pans for chestnuts differ in only one thing - there are small holes in their bottom. Not as large and not as numerous as in a colander, but still quite often located. Chestnuts in such pans are fried on coals, and the holes are needed so that the fruits are saturated with smoke and acquire a specific aroma. When cooking on the stove in such a pan is not necessary, so the usual one is quite suitable. If you have the opportunity to cook chestnuts on charcoal, but do not have a frying pan, then find an old aluminum one and punch holes in it, then you can try real "Parisian" chestnuts, which are cooked on wood in special braziers.

Before frying, chestnuts must be cut so that after heating they do not explode. Usually an incision is made with a sharp knife crosswise, then the chestnut peel will open like a flower. You can also just make a longitudinal incision with a knife in the middle or cut off the “lid” of the chestnut, but for this you need a really sharp knife. Sometimes chestnuts are simply pierced with a fork. The main thing is to damage the shell in one way or another so that there is an opportunity for steam to escape.

So, take a frying pan, preferably cast iron, but by no means Teflon, put it on the fire and lay out the chestnuts. Prepare a few linen (in extreme cases, cotton) napkins or towels. Soak them in water, wring them out and place them on top of the chestnut layer. Fry the fruits over medium heat, remembering to lift the napkins from time to time and shake the pan so that they turn over. Wipes should be moistened as they dry. To do this, either put them under running water again and wring them out, or spray them with water from a spray bottle.

There is a method of roasting chestnuts in which wet wipes are not used, but water is poured into the pan, about a centimeter, and the pan is covered with a lid. This method is also good, but the chestnuts will not be as crispy as when using a dry frying pan and napkins. It is possible to roast chestnuts without the use of moisture, in France and Italy they usually do this, but in order for the fruits not to turn out dry and hard, they must be very fresh and filled with moisture. Ideally, just taken from the tree. In our conditions, this is difficult to achieve, therefore, in order not to spoil the product, it is still better to use the “wet” method of frying.

Chestnuts are roasted for an average of 20-30 minutes, the time depends on the size of the fruit, the strength of the fire, the thickness of the pan, and the like. Ready chestnuts should not only open up, but also acquire a crispy crust. When it appears, remove the wet towels and dry the chestnuts for a few minutes, shaking or turning occasionally. Those who prefer salty fruits can salt them. Eat chestnuts hot, peeling them with your hands.

Recipes with chestnuts
Chestnuts are good on their own, but after tasting them in their pure form, you might want to know the taste of a variety of dishes with chestnuts. Here are some options:

Chestnut dessert: Roasted nuts are peeled and covered with chocolate or coffee sauce. You can simply melt the chocolate in a water bath.
Soup with chestnuts. Roasted or boiled chestnuts, peeled and cut into slices, are added to the soup, meat or vegetarian, along with vegetables.
Filling for stuffing turkey or chicken. Chestnuts, along with apples, prunes and spices, are placed inside the bird, sewn up and baked.
Stew with chestnuts. The meat is stewed in the usual way, along with onions, carrots and, possibly, other ingredients, chestnuts are added 15-20 minutes before cooking.

As you can see, chestnuts are a great way to diversify the menu and taste unusual and original dishes. Don't miss the chestnut season, which starts in late autumn.

To prepare a delicious side dish, dessert, first courses or salads, you can use the fruits of the sowing or noble chestnut - they have a brown shiny peel and wrinkled kernels. Those who want to try this delicacy should find out how European chefs cook chestnuts.

How to eat chestnuts

Many housewives and cooks use this unique product not only as an independent dish, but also make soups, pilaf, etc. from it. frying pans, because the taste of the exotic nut will fade as it cools.

How to Peel Chestnuts

To enjoy the taste of a nut, first prepare it properly: select fruits that are suitable for eating, fill with water - collect and discard those that float, and continue to work with the rest. Make cross-shaped cuts from the side of the sharp edge, using scissors or a fork, send them to fry. This action determines how easy it will be to peel the chestnuts later, and this is also where any recipe for roasted chestnuts begins.

What chestnuts can be eaten

In cooking, roasted chestnuts are a well-known dish that has an amazing taste. Before roasting nuts yourself, you need to know what they are. So, you can eat chestnuts that are covered with a spiky green shell. Elongated fruits are considered edible, resembling an onion in appearance and shape with a small tail at a sharp end - as in the photo.

It is worth noting that it is strictly forbidden to use lumpy round nuts (horse nuts) for cooking, because at best it threatens you with food poisoning. Such fruits grow on trees among large, spreading leaves in central Russia, so it’s better for residents of warm regions not to take risks and, if they wish, cook chestnuts, choose and buy them at the nearest store.

The benefits and harms of roasted chestnuts

If you want to try an exotic dish, then you need to figure out if you should eat it. Consider the benefits and harms of roasted chestnuts:

Of the positive qualities, special attention should be paid to the composition of the fruit: vitamins (choline, beta-carotene, vitamins A, B, C, E, K, PP, including ascorbic acid) and minerals (phosphorus, potassium, calcium, zinc, iron).
An important role in creating a positive characteristic of the product is played by its nutritional value and composition: water, ash, saturated fatty acids, mono- and disaccharides, dietary fiber.
Contraindications to the use of chestnuts include the fact that when fried they contain carbohydrates and a large amount of starch, and this is unacceptable for people who are prone to fullness.

Roasted chestnuts calories

One of the most popular edible varieties are sweet chestnuts. The calorie content of roasted chestnuts is about 180 calories per 100 grams of weight, so eating them in small quantities will not negatively affect your parameters. When roasted, the exotic nut contains a lot of carbohydrates and vegetable protein, which will especially appeal to those people who do not eat meat.

How to roast chestnuts at home

Such an unusual ingredient can be used for different dishes: first, second, desserts, but the beginning of each recipe is heat treatment. How are chestnuts roasted? There are several ways. You can roast chestnuts in a regular or special pan with holes, bake in the oven, boil. Check out these tips to help you understand how to roast chestnuts at home.

How to roast chestnuts in a pan

The presented method is a classic method for preparing edible fruits. Before frying chestnuts in a pan, they need to be soaked, and then already used, and taking only those that fell to the bottom of the bowl. Step-by-step instruction:

Pierce each fruit with a fork or cut.
Put the nuts in a frying pan filled with hot oil, cover with a paper towel on top. Moisten the napkins several times during frying - thanks to this, the fruits will not dry out.
Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 30 minutes on medium heat. It is recommended to shake the nuts periodically without opening the lid.
Serve the dish, salted or sprinkled with sugar - as you wish.

Those who think that fried fruits are too dry can boil them with milk - the combination is simply excellent! For this you need:

Peel the already toasted nuts from the film, pour in the milk so that the liquid covers them 2 cm higher.
Add a couple of tablespoons of honey, a cinnamon stick.
Let the dish simmer until the main ingredient is soft. Before sending the delicacy to the fire, you can add more cedar cake - so the taste of the dessert will become even more interesting.

How to cook chestnuts in the oven

You can also bake an exotic nut using an oven - the process is even easier than frying in a pan. A well-known way to cook chestnuts in the oven is as follows:

Preheat oven.
Make cuts on each fruit.
Put the workpiece in one layer on a baking sheet, leave to bake for 35 minutes.
Open the oven and serve a treat. From a part of an exotic nut, you can also prepare, for example, a salad: add vegetables and durum pasta to the peeled fruits, and then it is recommended to mix this whole mass with a sauce of olive oil and lemon juice.

Chestnuts in the microwave

This method is quick and safe, if you cut or pierce the products with a fork before laying, this will allow steam to escape and avoid “explosion”. Cooking chestnuts in the microwave is easy:

Put the fruits in a shallow, but wide plate designed for the microwave.
Salt the product a little, pour in 3 tablespoons of hot water. Roasting this way is unrealistic, but nuts can be steamed for easy cleaning.
Close the dish with a lid (not a glass plate) or film, leave the dish for 8 minutes, making the power of the technique maximum.
Try one thing, then either continue the process, or serve a treat to the table by pouring your favorite sauce on a plate.

A useful and containing many vitamins and protein product to the liking of many. However, not everyone knows how to cook chestnut, and in order for you to enjoy this appetizer at home, and not in a restaurant, follow these recommendations:

Before you cook chestnuts in a pan, they must all be cut - so they will not "jump out" when heated.
Put the raw ingredients in the pan in one layer, while the dishes should not be on the stove for a long time, otherwise the nuts will turn out to be too hard and tough.
You need to remove the peel as soon as the product is cooked, otherwise it will be much more difficult to do it later.
If you plan to store edible chestnuts, then know that fresh fruits can be kept in a cool place for just a few days, otherwise they will become dry and lose their luster. A baked, boiled, or roasted nut will last longer if stored in the freezer.