It's time for chestnuts! Let's discover 5 infallible cooking methods (one of which is little known) to taste the autumn fruit par excellence
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousIt's time for chestnuts! Let's discover 5 infallible cooking methods (one of which is little known) to taste the autumn fruit par excellence
There are so many ways to cook chestnuts: they can be roasted on the fire with a perforated pan, toasted in the oven, boiled with both skins, or cooked leaving only the first film that wraps them. And those who have it at home can also opt for cooking with an air fryer.
This seasonal fruit is rich in carbohydrates, ideal for those who practice sports or are subject to stress. Chestnut is an alternative food for children and people allergic to cow's milk or lactose. The flour made with chestnuts, in the preparation of sweets and soups, also compensates for the carbohydrate requirements in subjects with cereal intolerance. Very rich in fiber, it is also considered very important for the correct intestinal activity and for the reduction of cholesterolemia.
Read also: Peel the chestnuts (cooked or raw) without difficulty: tricks and mistakes not to make
Index
Cooking methods
Roast on the fire
This is probably the most popular and known way to cook chestnuts. Just cut them one by one, with a knife, making a cut 1-2 cm wide, and put them in a pan with holes over a high heat for a few minutes, taking care to turn them one by one very often to even out the cooking.
Once well cooked and toasted, all that remains is to put them in a paper bag (for example the one for bread) and leave them to cool for about ten minutes. At this point you just have to peel them and enjoy them while still hot!
Read also: Chestnut flour: from pasta to pancakes, 10 surprising ways to rediscover it in your recipes
Roasted baked
After having cut them with a knife, making a cut of 1-2 cm, put them in a pan and put them in the oven for about twenty minutes at a temperature of 220 degrees. Here, too, it is advisable to turn them often to ensure uniform cooking.
When cooked, pour them into a bread bag and wait about ten minutes before peeling and eating them!
Boil with both skins
Cook the chestnuts in boiling water for about 20-30 minutes, peel them one by one, taking care to leave those still to be cleaned in the hot water (with the heat of the water it will be easier to peel them; the peel will tend to soften and will come off. with greater ease). At this point you can blend the chestnuts obtaining a tasty and very white puree, floury and sweetish, to be eaten like this, or as a sauce with which to season the meat; alternatively you can use it as a base for some sweets.
It is in fact a technique rarely used and only in very high pastry (due to the long and complex process for peeling chestnuts), but it is still the most effective method for the preparation of Mont Blanc.
Boil with the peel
After removing the first peel, cook the chestnuts in boiling water for about 10-15 minutes. Once this is done, remove the skin by peeling a few chestnuts at a time and leaving the others in the hot water.
If you want to get a soft mixture, just put them back on the heat with milk or cream. If, on the other hand, you want whole chestnuts, just leave them al dente.
At this point you can indulge yourself with the most diverse recipes: from roast with chestnuts to chestnuts cream, from fish to crazy water with the addition of pieces of chestnuts to gluttons glossy brown.
Cooked in the air fryer
Have you ever tried to cook chestnuts with an air fryer? It takes just 20 minutes and peeling them will be a breeze!
Get the amount of chestnuts you want to cook. Start by making an incision of at least 2 cm in the chestnuts using a knife. Place them in the basket of your air fryer. Proceed by cooking them at 180 degrees for about twenty minutes. Halfway through cooking, open the fryer and turn the chestnuts so that they cook evenly. After twenty minutes, remove the chestnuts from the basket and wait for them to cool a few minutes before starting to peel them. You will see how easily you will be able to remove the peel and the skin! Enjoy them still warm with a sprinkling of salt.
Read also: How to cook chestnuts in the air fryer
Conservation methods
Chestnuts can be kept fresh even for a couple of months, if left to soak in cold water for about 24 hours and then carefully dried with clean kitchen cloths.
You can freeze them in the form of puree (but having the foresight to eat them within 24 hours after defrosting, as with any frozen food) or freeze them even when roasted and peeled.
If you want to prepare preserves, you must keep in mind that chestnuts are not acidic and therefore spoil easily. To ensure a long shelf life, you must therefore provide a large amount of sugar (at least 60%); otherwise your chestnut cream or compote will inevitably risk becoming moldy quickly.
On chestnuts, you may also be interested in:
- Peel the chestnuts (cooked or raw) without difficulty: tricks and mistakes not to make
- Pasta with chestnuts (vegan recipe)
- Chestnut, spelled and potato soup: the perfect recipe to warm up your autumn
