Roasted chestnuts recipe It depends entirely on what taste you want in the final product.

Chestnuts taste good with both salt and sugar. They absorb the taste of the ingredients used in cooking and can add variety to any dish or table.

Due to their neutral taste and weak aroma, chestnuts are often used in the preparation of appetizers, main courses, salads, soups, baked goods and desserts.

The main problem of people who want to try chestnuts for food is ignorance of the fact that not all chestnuts are suitable for eating. Forest chestnuts and those growing in cities are not suitable for human food, with the exception of the Caucasus.

Chestnuts for cooking can be bought in stores (supermarkets) or markets. You need to understand chestnuts, just like mushrooms, although they are not poisonous. External hallmark edible chestnut - shell Brown, chestnut kernel is shiny.

Edible chestnuts are heat-loving. You can find them on your own, but they grow in the Caucasus region. Fresh chestnuts appear on sale in the fall.
In areas where chestnuts are traditionally consumed, they are treated as a staple food product. This is due to their “fullness” and nutritional characteristics, which are comparable to rice and potatoes.

The taste of roasted chestnuts difficult to describe clearly. It largely depends on the ingredients used in preparation.

Raw chestnuts The taste is similar to unripe nuts, but less oily. Roasted chestnuts taste like potatoes.

How to cook on open fire

This recipe for roasted chestnuts is often used during outdoor recreation. They are fried in a metal bowl until cooked to taste, from 10 to 20 minutes. Serve hot, peeling off the shell.

The main rule when frying chestnuts, which must always be remembered and observed, is processing the chestnut shell before frying. When heated, their shell bursts and destroys the core. Therefore, the shell is always cut along the diameter, crosswise, or simply pierced in several places.

Recipe for roasted chestnuts in the oven

If necessary, wash and dry the chestnuts. Be sure to process the shell with a sharp knife, cutting deep crosses on one side of the chestnut. Place chestnuts on a prepared baking sheet, cut sides up.

The oven oven should be preheated to 190 degrees. The baking tray with chestnuts is placed in a preheated oven. They can be considered ready after they release their juice. This will take approximately 20 minutes. After this, you can treat the roasted chestnuts with any ingredients you like and hold them in the oven for another 5 minutes to get delicious food.

Recipe for roasted chestnuts in a frying pan

It is necessary to process the shell, which can be done with a fork, piercing the shell a third of the thickness of the chestnut, or making deep cuts with a knife, using a cross. This will prevent them from exploding when overheated. The chestnut contains a lot of juice, which turns into steam when heated and tends to burst the chestnut. It is for steam to escape that the shell is processed.

You need to prepare a frying pan, several napkins and half a glass of water. Chestnuts are loaded into a frying pan and covered with a layer of napkins moistened with water. Frying occurs over low heat for about 22 minutes. The frying pan is covered with a lid. Stir the chestnuts periodically. Dried wipes are re-hydrated. This is done to prevent the chestnuts from drying out and becoming too hard. If the processing of the shell was carried out poorly, some chestnuts may explode, this is not a problem.

At the end of cooking, you can treat the chestnuts with salt or sugar, or other ingredients to taste.

To check if the chestnuts are done, you can squeeze them. If the shell breaks down and comes off with light effort, the chestnuts are ready.

The mention of chestnuts evokes a variety of associations for most people, and not always gastronomic ones. Edible in our country chestnut nuts can only be found in the south, and grows in other places horse chestnut, unfit for food. Moreover, horse chestnut fruits are poisonous, so they can only be admired. Edible chestnuts are sold in supermarkets - they are brought from Krasnodar, the Caucasus, Abkhazia and other places. If you haven't tried this one yet exquisite delicacy, learning how to cook it is quite easy if you know the secrets and subtleties. Chestnuts are delicious, nutritious and healthy!

How chestnuts became part of gastronomic culture

Chestnut trees were already grown in Ancient Greece and Rome, but their fruits were considered more of a medicine than a delicacy. Chestnuts were used to feed livestock. And only in the 15th century people tasted exotic nuts and realized that they were worthy of being on the market. dining table. However, for a long time chestnuts were the food of the poor, and only a little later they learned to cook gourmet dishes from them.

In Japan and China, the first mentions of chestnuts appeared even earlier, long before the advent of rice, and they were cooked in a simple way- fried over a fire. Until now, almost half of the world's chestnuts are eaten by the Chinese.

What types of chestnuts are there?

The most popular varieties of edible chestnuts are seed, American, Chinese and Japanese. They have a green spiky plus and look like tiny hedgehogs, while the inedible horse chestnut has sparser needles. Brown nuts are hidden under the top, and if they look like an onion with a small tail at the sharp end, then the chestnuts are definitely edible - you read that right. Horse chestnut tastes unpleasantly bitter, but the edible fruits are mealy and sweetish.

Raw chestnuts taste like unripe nuts, while cooked fruits taste like baked potatoes with nutty notes. It is believed that the most delicious chestnut is the Japanese one. In terms of satiety, nuts are close to potatoes, rice, bread and other carbohydrate products. It is no coincidence that this tree was previously called bread tree. Due to their neutral taste, chestnut dishes can be prepared with a variety of foods - they simply absorb the taste and aroma of the ingredients present, such as funchose, potatoes and rice.

How to prepare chestnuts

In Europe there is good tradition- have picnics in the fall and bake chestnuts on the fire. This delicacy is also sold on city streets, where the fruits are cooked in open roasting pans. They are peeled and eaten hot, washed down with grape juice, beer or cider. The main thing is to pierce the nut shells before baking, otherwise the chestnuts will explode during cooking. Chestnuts are also boiled and steamed, added to soups, sauces, salads, casseroles and side dishes, and stuffed into chicken and Christmas turkey. If you want to save chestnuts until Christmas, you can boil, peel and freeze them.

But the use of chestnut fruits in cooking is not limited to this. From nut fruits make amazing chestnut flour, which is used for cooking savory pies and dessert pastries. You don’t even need to add sugar to sweets, because the flour already has a sweetish taste. Chestnut and jam, pancakes, biscuits, muffins and cookies are very pleasant. In France, chestnuts are used to prepare a delicious delicacy called maroon glace, for which peeled chestnuts are boiled in sugar syrup and dry until crispy. Chestnuts are no less tasty chocolate sauce and chestnut puree from boiled nuts with sugar. They say these are real delicacies!

Both tasty and healthy

Chestnuts have healing properties. They are rich in vitamins C, A, B, potassium, iron and calcium. Nuts reduce fever, treat coughs and cleanse the bronchi, relieve pain, have anti-inflammatory properties and stop diarrhea. Chestnuts are good for digestion and kidneys, while they have a slight diuretic effect. Chestnuts are especially useful for hypertensive patients, as they normalize blood pressure and strengthen blood vessels.

If you have varicose veins, you can alleviate your condition with a chestnut diet. Arthritis, radiculitis, gout - even such serious diseases can be treated if you feast on these useful gifts of nature more often.

Since chestnuts have a low concentration of fat (1 g per fruit), they can be eaten by anyone on a diet. This is what distinguishes this variety of nuts from its “brothers”. If we also take into account that chestnut improves blood circulation, removes excess fluid from cells and removes swelling, this product becomes invaluable in the fight against cellulite. Tinctures are made from chestnuts to burn fat, and anti-cellulite creams are prepared using its oil.

It is better to give chestnuts to children from the age of four or five, since their delicate digestive system may not be able to digest this nut.

How to roast chestnuts

Now it’s time to learn how to cook chestnuts at home. Sort through them and discard bruised, spoiled fruits and nuts with cracked shells. Pour the chestnuts into the water and take only the sunken fruits for subsequent cooking - those that float are not suitable for food, as they are most likely spoiled. Keep the remaining chestnuts in water for 15 minutes, dry with a towel and make cross-shaped cuts on the sharp edge so that the shell does not burst during frying and the chestnuts can then be easily peeled.

Fill large frying pan vegetable oil, put the chestnuts in there and fry for half an hour over medium heat under a closed lid. Shake the pan occasionally without opening the lid. Peel the chestnuts immediately, otherwise it will be problematic to do so later. Serve with sugar or salt - it's incredibly delicious!

Chestnuts baked in the oven

This cooking method is even simpler, and you can verify this on own kitchen. First, sort and wash the chestnuts, removing any that are unsuitable for eating, and then make cuts.

Preheat the oven to 200 °C, setting the convection mode. Place the nuts in cast iron cookware or ovenproof dish cut side down and cook for 15 minutes, then stir the chestnuts and bake for another 15 minutes. It all depends on what kind of nuts you like - softer or crispier.

Cool the chestnuts, sprinkle them with salt and serve with beer or wine. You can cut the shelled nuts into pieces, add any vegetables, pasta or rice to them, and then season with olive oil and lemon juice.

“Quick” chestnuts in the microwave

Prepare the chestnuts for roasting as described above, and be sure to make cuts. Place the nuts in a bowl microwave oven, salt and add a little water - 4-5 tbsp. l. for 10 fruits. Mix well.

Turn on the most powerful mode and cook for exactly 8 minutes. If the chestnuts are too large and the microwave is not very powerful, the cooking time can be increased. Some gourmets claim that nuts in the microwave do not turn out as tasty, but this is not an acquired taste. Try it and decide for yourself!

Candied chestnuts

It's very simple and extraordinary delicious dessert, which will surely take root in your family. Peel 0.5 kg of chestnuts and boil them in water until softened so that they do not lose their shape.

Boil the syrup from 2 glasses of water and 0.5 kg of sugar - after boiling, it should cook for about 10 minutes. Dip the finished chestnuts into the syrup and cook for another half hour. Let the dish brew a little and keep it on the fire for another half hour. The chestnuts should become almost transparent. After this, add 50 ml of rum and transfer the dessert to a beautiful bowl. Decorate the delicacy to your taste and serve to your amazed family and guests.

Chestnut flour pancakes with ricotta

Everyone loves pancakes, but chestnut pancakes are exotic for most. But what prevents you from appreciating their delicate nutty taste?

Prepare a dough from 2 eggs, 230 ml of milk and 100 g of chestnut flour, which you can add a little more if the eggs are large. The dough should be homogeneous, without lumps. Leave it on for 15 minutes.

Prepare the filling from ricotta and honey - the amount of ingredients to your taste. Some people like it sweeter, while others can add a little salt and herbs instead of honey.

Fry the pancakes in olive oil, place 2 tbsp on each. l. ricotta, fold in half and place on a plate. Top them with yoghurt, honey or any sauce you like. It has a pleasant color and delicate texture and will certainly not disappoint you when tasting.

Chestnut soup "You'll lick your fingers"

This one is a little reminiscent of potato, but looks unusual and appetizing.

Weld meat broth and allocate about 1 liter or a little more for the soup, taking into account that some liquid will boil away during cooking. Chop the carrots and onions into cubes and fry them in vegetable oil until golden color. Throw 300g of peeled chestnuts from the supermarket and vegetables into the broth, add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until chestnuts are soft, about 15 minutes.

Blend the soup with a blender, but leave a few chestnuts floating in it. This will make the dish look much more interesting.

Season the chestnut puree soup with 2 tbsp. l. cream and serve with fresh herbs.

Draniki with chestnuts

You've probably never tried something like this unusual dish. Well, you have such a unique opportunity!

Make cuts on 7 chestnuts and boil them in water for 10 minutes.

Grate 3 raw peeled potatoes. Peel the chestnuts and also chop them on a grater, and then mix with the potatoes. Add 1 a raw egg, chopped garlic clove, salt, 2 tbsp. l. flour and a little finely chopped dill.

Mix the dough well and fry the potato pancakes in vegetable oil on both sides. Serve with sour cream. The taste of these potato pancakes is very subtle, slightly nutty and original.

Chestnuts protect against depression and stress, calm you down and give you sound sleep. Treat yourself to these sometimes delicious nuts, without which something is missing in the fall. Chestnuts lift our spirits, and when we wash down these crunchy nuts with aromatic cider, it seems to us that life is inexpressibly beautiful, especially among those closest to us.

ABOUT taste qualities Chestnut trees are legendary. For some, their taste is reminiscent of baked potatoes combined with nuts, others claim that the most delicious nuts are those that were collected in the fall, because they have so much sweetness! These fruits have found their use in cooking more than a century ago, and you can learn how to cook chestnuts from this article.

Many of us cannot even imagine what a pleasure it is to eat chestnuts. But in other countries they are served as an independent dish or used in the preparation of soups, side dishes and even desserts. If you dare to culinary experiment with such an exotic nut, we will tell you how to cook it correctly. The main thing is to eat chestnuts hot, because when they cool down, they lose their unique taste.

The easiest way to prepare such fruits is simple frying in a frying pan. But before answering the question of how to fry chestnuts, you should warn that before any method of processing them, you need to soak the nuts and use only those that have fallen to the bottom of the container.

Each fruit must be cut or pierced to prevent it from exploding during cooking.

Place the chestnuts in a frying pan with oil and cover them with a paper towel. To prevent the fruits from drying out, the towel must be moistened during frying.
Roast the nuts covered for half an hour. It is recommended to shake them periodically directly under the lid.
Sprinkle the finished nuts with salt or granulated sugar.

This is an even easier way to prepare chestnuts. It’s even easier than frying them in a frying pan.

Cooking method:

Place the chestnuts on a baking sheet, do not forget to pierce each fruit.
Place the pan in the oven for 40 minutes.
Serve the fruits sweet or salty.

You can also fry chestnuts in the microwave; this is also a simple and safe option for cooking them. True, this way they turn out not so much fried as steamed.

Cooking method:

Place the cut fruits in a wide container, sprinkle with salt and pour in three tablespoons of water (hot).
Close the dish and put it in the microwave for 8 - 10 minutes, setting the device to maximum power.

Chestnuts roasted in an air fryer

The air fryer can also be used to cook chestnuts. To do this, take a baking tray from the appliance, place the cut nuts on it and bake them for 20 to 30 minutes at a temperature of 180°C. The lower and upper grids can be covered with foil - this will make the fruits softer.

Once you get the hang of it basic recipes preparations, you can safely take on other, more interesting recipes. For example, you can make soup from chestnuts, bake them with meat, or please your loved ones with an original dessert.

How to cook chestnuts correctly

There are two ways to cook chestnuts.

The first is that the cut fruits are immersed in boiling water, boiled for five minutes, then removed and peeled from the film and shell. It is in these parts that bitterness is concentrated, and if they are not removed, the dish will be spoiled. Next, pour in the peeled nuts clean water and cook for 15 minutes. Boiled chestnuts can be served, drizzled with oil, as a side dish or used in salads. Chestnut decoction can also be used as a basis for preparing first courses.
The second method differs in that first the fruits are baked in the oven and as soon as the shells burst, they are removed, peeled and then, like the first method, boiled for 15 minutes.
You can deliciously cook exotic nuts in milk. To do this, put 300 g of already peeled nuts in a saucepan, pour a glass of milk and cook the fruits for 40 minutes. At this time, mix a spoonful of flour with two tablespoons of melted butter, add salt and sugar to taste. Add the sauce to the chestnuts, stir and remove from heat.

Chestnut dessert with honey

A phrase such as “chestnuts with honey” may sound strange to some, but in fact, these ingredients make a delicious autumn dessert. The finished dish combines several flavors at once - sour, bitter and sweet. In many countries, this delicacy is served with green tea for breakfast or afternoon snack.

Ingredients:

230 g chestnuts;
180 g feijoa;
half a lemon;
honey to taste.

Cooking method:

Place the pierced nuts in a dry frying pan and fry for 15 minutes.
Remove the shells and cut the fruits in half.
We cut the peeled feijoas into thin slices and place them with the chestnuts.
Watering ready dish citrus juice and honey.

Making chestnut puree

You can prepare chestnuts in the form of puree or cream.

Puree is ideal for making soups, baked goods and other desserts. The cream is used to make mousses, ice cream and cakes.

The cream can also be mixed with yogurt, cottage cheese, muesli, or simply eaten with toast.

Ingredients for puree:

230 g chestnuts;
spoon of sugar;
130 ml milk;
spoon of ghee.

Cooking method:

Place the already peeled chestnuts in a saucepan and cook in milk for 40 minutes.
We wipe the boiled fruits through a sieve together with the milk broth and return them to the stove.
Place pieces of butter, add sugar, mix, heat all ingredients well and remove from heat.

If you plan to use chestnut puree as a side dish for meat or poultry, use salt instead of sweetener, and also add onion or celery stalk to the recipe.

Ingredients for cream:

1 kg chestnuts;
160 ml cream;
160 g sugar;
60 g ghee;
vanilla pod.

Cooking method:

First you need to make puree from the nuts. To do this, cook the fruits for 10 minutes, then drain the hot water and pour in cold water. After five minutes, take out the nuts, remove the peels and grind them with a blender or rub them through a sieve.
Now you need to cook sweet syrup made from water, sugar and vanilla bean. It should take no more than three minutes to prepare the syrup.
Pour the finished syrup into the chestnut puree, put the mixture on the fire and cook until thickened for about 15 minutes. This cream can already be used for making desserts or spread on toast as jam.

If you add cream instead of water, it will work butter cream. To prepare it, we also prepare puree, mix it with heated cream, sugar and vanilla. Cook the cream until thickened for 15 minutes, then add pieces of butter, stir and remove from heat. If the cream turns out to be too thick, then dilute it with cream.

Traditional Turkish recipe

In the depths of winter the streets Turkish cities filled with the aromas of roasted chestnuts. Turkish residents offer their guests to try a variety of dishes made from this exotic nut. One of the special delicacies is Kestane Sekeri - candied edible chestnut, the recipe for which you will learn right now.

Ingredients:

a kilo of chestnuts;
kilo of granulated sugar;
450 g glucose;
vanilla to taste.

Cooking method:

First of all, peel the fruits. To do this, put them in boiling water for three minutes, then remove the shell and cook in clean water for 15 minutes.
Pour water into a saucepan, add sugar and glucose, and put on fire.
As soon as the sweet solution thickens, put chestnuts in it and after the syrup with nuts boils, turn it off, cover and leave warm all night.
The next day, the process must be repeated and after cooling again, add vanilla.
Now all that remains is to place the nuts on a wire rack and dry until matte.

How to properly peel chestnuts

Traditionally, chestnuts are roasted over coals; the heat causes the skin to burst and then be easily removed.

At home, you can use more affordable methods for cleaning them.

Chestnuts can be fried in a frying pan, just remember to cut them. On heated fruits, the peel bursts when simply pressed. A film will remain on the kernel; it can be left or easily removed with a knife.
Cut the shell and place it in boiling water for 10 minutes. As a result, such heat treatment the shell is removed along with the film.
Another way to peel chestnuts is in the oven. To do this, place the baking sheet with nuts in an oven preheated to 200°C for 10 minutes. As a result of heating, the peel becomes soft and easy to peel.
The microwave will also help you peel the nuts. Just put the fruits in a special bowl with a lid and set it to normal mode for 30 minutes.
And the last method involves using freezer. Chestnuts need to be frozen and then placed in boiling water for a few minutes.

At the end of the article, I would like to say that the chestnuts that we often see on our streets are not used for cooking. This special kind of the Beech family – chestnut Castanea sativa. The edible chestnut is native to Asia Minor, as well as Southern and Eastern Europe. Today, this type of deciduous tree grows on the southern coast of Crimea, the Caucasus, Dagestan and Moldova.

Among the many famous cities in the world, Paris stands out especially, where thousands of loving couples come. They admire the beauty of architectural buildings, and also try roasted chestnuts, which only experienced chefs know how to cook. Exactly this gourmet dish considered one of national products France. Every year in Paris there is a national festival dedicated to the edible chestnut. At this time, right on the street, sellers are frying amazing food in huge frying pans. tasty treat. It's not hard to imagine how the air fills pleasant aroma heated fruits, and couples in love treat each other with them.

But not everyone can go to Paris, but many can learn how to cook chestnuts. The main thing is to listen to advice experienced chefs. In addition, it is important to find out what benefits regular consumption of the product brings and possible contraindications. Let's try to understand these issues.

A close encounter with lovers' delicacy

To learn how to cook chestnuts, you first need to get to know them better. Each fruit contains a lot useful substances, namely:

fiber;
sugar;
proteins;
starch;
oils;
tanning elements;
series of vitamins

The fruit is widely used in folk medicine in the form of tinctures and decoctions. Besides this he has refined taste, for which he received recognition all over the world. So, if you know how to cook edible chestnut, the benefits and harms of the product, you can safely get down to business.

In order not to harm yourself, you should distinguish an edible fruit from a horse chestnut. Only the type of chestnut “Castanea sativa”, which grows in the coastal areas of the Black Sea, is suitable for preparing the delicacy.

Often people who lack understanding confuse sweet chestnut with “Acorn”. It is this plant that can cause harm to the body. On the other hand, excessive consumption of the product leads to food allergies, bloating, intestinal upset and nausea. Eating roasted chestnuts is contraindicated for people suffering from the following diseases:

hypotension;
renal failure;
urolithiasis disease.

It is not advisable to include chestnuts in the diet of pregnant women and nursing mothers. Since the nut is considered high-calorie product, it is contraindicated for people who are overweight.

Culinary secrets of creating a dish

French chefs widely use chestnuts for their culinary masterpieces. They prepare them in various ways:

baked in the oven;
fry in a frying pan;
boil in a saucepan;
added to sweet desserts;
used as excellent snack to alcoholic drinks;
the dried product is placed in baking dough.

In any case, the dish comes out with an exotic taste and aroma. But how to cook chestnuts at home to feel like a Parisian? It turns out that everything is much simpler than it might seem.

There are several ways to create this amazing delicacy. For example, to fry fruits efficiently, take a wide frying pan. Then put nuts on it.
Stirring constantly, they will be ready in half an hour. When the chestnuts have cooled, remove the peel and sprinkle with sugar or salt. In this form, the delicacy is served to the table.

It is advisable to cook the fruits in a frying pan without fat. The fire should be medium.

Another way to roast chestnuts consists of the following steps:

Fruits are poured into a frying pan without fat. Turn on moderate heat and fry, stirring constantly.
When the nuts are warmed up, they are covered with wet cotton napkins.
Some cooks simply pour water into the pan. Then reduce the fire level to a minimum. Cover with a lid and fry for 30 minutes.

Check the readiness of the treat by pressing on the product. Soft specimens are removed from the heat and served. Many chefs know how to fry chestnuts in a frying pan and are happy to share their experience. But the product can also be cooked in the oven.

You can fry nuts in any frying pan, just not one with a Teflon coating.

You can bake the product correctly by performing the following operations:

First, cut off a miniature tip from each fruit.
Place on a baking sheet, spreading evenly over the entire area.
Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
The finished nuts are peeled while they are warm.

The main rule of how to roast chestnuts in the oven is to preheat the oven to 240 degrees. In addition, it is necessary to carefully monitor the process. As soon as the fruits lose moisture, they can only be baked for 7 minutes after that.

French notes on the dining table

Unfortunately, most of us will not have the opportunity to walk the streets of Paris and taste roasted chestnuts. But any cook can learn how to cook chestnuts at home and feel like a Frenchman. Let's look at several dishes that include fried fruits. They are used as a semi-finished product, adding to vegetable stew. Chestnuts can be thoroughly mashed with a rolling pin or chopped with a blender. Then stir with milk and add to:

various sauces;
souffle;
pies;
cakes;
cupcakes;
ice cream.

Since the product has universal properties, it is easy to experiment with it. Let's look at a recipe for how to cook chestnuts at home using additional products.

butter (a piece for greasing);

salt.

The process of creating a dish:

The finished dish is cut into small portions. Serve with hot broth or puree soup.

As you can see, the “Roasted Chestnuts” delicacy, the recipe of which is available to everyone, can be easily prepared at home. The main thing is to follow the instructions of specialists. And then, enjoying the taste of exquisite French food, you are mentally transported to the streets of the glorious city - Paris.

Secrets of cooking chestnuts - video

Noble chestnut is fruit tree. In Europe, its fruits are very popular. Harvest festivals are dedicated to them, they are sung in songs, and in France they are national dish along with cheese and wine. In Greece, chestnut trees ripen in the fall, and then brisk trade begins in all the streets and squares.

The best recipe for this dish is roasted chestnuts cooked on a grill over an open fire.

They are eaten while still hot, washed down with young grape wine. They are not consumed raw, as they contain difficult-to-digest protein.

This dish has been known to mankind since the time Ancient Rome, where it was served in the form light snack to wine. Associated with him interesting legend. According to her, the nymph Neya, Diana’s friend, fleeing from the love fervour of Jupiter, committed suicide. The omnipotent god could not save the nymph, but he managed to turn the girl into a tree with delicious fruits, enclosed in a prickly shell.

Chestnuts are also associated with the Greek commander Alexander the Great. During his campaigns along the route of the army, he ordered the planting of chestnut groves, hoping to use their fruits as food for his armies. And in the Ancient East, chestnut fruits were eaten long before the advent of rice. Approximate age This dish dates back over 6,000 years.

It follows from this that chestnuts are ancient dish, the recipes of which have survived to this day practically unchanged. They are still fried, boiled and baked, as they did long before our era.

How to cook chestnuts in a frying pan?

The horse chestnut that grows in our latitudes is not edible, so if you want to cook it, you won’t be able to pick it on the street, you’ll have to go to the supermarket. This seasonal product, so it appears on our shelves only at the beginning of autumn and disappears by the end of winter.

When asked how to cook chestnuts at home, most will advise roasting them. This can be done in a frying pan, on a grill grate, or in the oven. To fry in a frying pan, you need to take special dishes with holes. Although, what can I say? They manage to cook on regular ones too. In addition to the frying pan, you will also need a knife and napkins.

Before cooking chestnuts, you need to cut them slightly, preferably crosswise. This is done so that they do not explode under the influence of steam. Place them in a dry, heated frying pan, cover with napkins soaked in water, and cover with a lid. Cooking time 20 minutes.

In this case, the fruits need to be stirred periodically, as well as moistening dry napkins. The chestnuts are ready when the shells begin to crack and are easy to separate from the core. For food, this dish is eaten hot. Don't forget to add salt and flavor it with any vegetable oil.

How to cook boiled chestnuts at home

You can boil chestnut fruits. This is also done in order to eat pure form, and also for later use in more complex dishes: for desserts, soups, side dishes, sauces for meat or fish.

First, the fruits need to be cleaned, washed and sorted. Then boil water in a saucepan. The fruits themselves are lowered into already boiling water. There is no need to cut them; they do not explode when cooked. Prepare depending on size, from 15 to 25 minutes. After the chestnuts are ready, they need to be removed from the boiling water, cooled, and then peeled.

How to cook chestnuts in the microwave?

To safely microwave chestnuts, be sure to score each one with a sharp knife. You can also pierce them with a fork. Afterwards they are placed in a shallow bowl, where hot water is added. You need to take a little water, just so that it covers the bottom of the dish with a thin layer, but not the chestnuts themselves.

The fruits are seasoned with salt on top, of course, if after cooking they are not used in desserts. Then cover the dish cling film or a lid. Cooking time 6-8 minutes at full power.

After the microwave beeps, try one thing to see if it’s ready. If necessary, steam for another 2-3 minutes. After the fruits are ready, they need to be cleaned and used for their intended purpose.

Since kernels cooked in the microwave are steamed, it is recommended to fry them additionally. To do this, you can take a regular frying pan, which is greased with vegetable oil. The kernels are fried for 4-5 minutes.

Chestnut dessert recipe

Do you want to surprise and amaze your loved ones or guests with an easy-to-prepare but impressive-looking dish? Try serving a dessert of burning chestnuts.

For it you will need:

700 g of fruits;
50 grams of butter;
30 grams of sugar;
100 ml cognac.

Boil chestnuts until tender. There are several options on how to do this. You can boil the kernels after peeling them. Or you can first cook it as described above, and then clean it while warm.
Next you will need a fireproof mold. Brush the sides and bottom with melted butter. Then place the kernels inside and mix with the remaining oil. Sprinkle sugar on top. Afterwards the mold is placed in an oven preheated to 200°C. Cooking time 20-25 minutes.
Chestnut fruits are served hot. When serving, pour cognac over the dish and set it on fire.

There are several features that will help make chestnut fruits tasty while maintaining all their nutritional properties:

When roasting chestnuts, stick to the recommended time, because overcooked chestnuts become tough and dry;
It is easiest to peel the fruit when it is still warm;
All films and membranes are completely removed from the cleaned nucleoli;
Cook as much as you plan to eat, as over time, peeled kernels become tasteless and dry out quickly;
The fruits are stored in a dark and cool place.

When serving peeled chestnuts, try going a little further and creating an atmosphere of Parisian romance at home. Place the dish on beautiful plates, place festive cutlery, pour wine or grape juice. Turn on some music or a romantic French comedy and enjoy a piece of France right in your own home.

How to roast chestnuts

One of the favorite delicacies of Parisians is hot chestnuts. They are prepared and sold right on the streets of the most romantic city in the world. Residents and guests of Paris buy them and eat them from the bag, closing their eyes with pleasure. And then they ask the French how to roast chestnuts so that they can pamper themselves more often when they return home.

These reddish-cinnamon fruits are good not only as an independent dish. They are also included in the recipe for many other dishes. But, before we tell you how to cook chestnuts, let's talk about which ones you can eat.

Indeed, under this name there are several different varieties nuts that look similar to each other.

All of them are covered with a spiky green shell, under which shiny fruits of a characteristic shade are hidden. But the ones that are edible are more elongated, shaped like an onion, and have a tiny tail at the sharp end. The tree they grow on has long, toothed leaves attached to the branch by a stem. You can cook chestnuts of this variety without any fear.

But you shouldn’t eat the fruits of trees with large, spreading leaves, somewhat reminiscent of maple leaves - you can get poisoned. Their nuts are round, sometimes lumpy. And, unfortunately, they are the ones that grow in abundance in central Russia. So it is better for residents of this region to buy chestnuts in the store.

First of all, regardless of the chosen cooking method, they need to be cut. This can be done with special scissors, or with a regular sharp knife. Carefully make a longitudinal cut on the side, so as to slightly capture the flesh of the nut. You can pierce it with a fork or cut the brown peel crosswise from the sharp edge. Almost any chestnut recipe begins with this step.

Now the nuts have holes for steam to escape and they can be fried in a frying pan. It's a good idea to use a regular thick-walled container with a heavy lid, like the one you use to pop popcorn. Excellent choice there will be a grill pan. It needs to be heated over moderate heat without oil and put the chestnuts on it.

If they are old and dark, wrinkled flesh is visible through the cut, you can splash a tablespoon of water on them or lay a damp towel on top. This way they will be steamed at the first stage of cooking and will not be dry. But even without these manipulations the result will be successful. The main thing is to remember that it is correct to fry chestnuts in a frying pan, covered, over moderate heat, stirring from time to time. When they start to bounce and burst loud claps, you can simply shake the container.

Check the nuts. If they have darkened, the brown shell has charred in places, and the cut has opened to reveal the light flesh, the chestnuts are ready. Now you can cool them slightly, remove the peel (this is easy while they are hot) and eat. You shouldn’t wait until they have completely cooled down – this will greatly reduce the taste.

If desired, you can cook chestnuts in the oven. For this, it is better to make a cross-shaped cut on the fruit from one of the edges.

Place the prepared nuts on a dry baking sheet and place in the oven, heated to 220 degrees.

After 15-20 minutes, check their condition. If the cut opens like a flower, you can turn off the heat - everything is ready.

Using oven mitts, being careful not to burn yourself, remove the skins from the nuts.

You can also cook chestnuts in the microwave. It is fast, modern and, if you are not lazy and make the necessary cuts on each of them, it is safe.
Having prepared the fruits in this way, place them in a wide but shallow container for microwave ovens.

Salt them a little and pour a few tablespoons into them hot water. Since it is almost impossible to roast chestnuts in the microwave, it is better to steam and peel them. Then, if you really want to, lightly fry the kernels in oil or without it.

In the meantime, cover the container with cling film or a lid (preferably not glass) and microwave for 6-8 minutes at full power. Try one thing at a time, cook for a few more minutes if necessary.

Serve the peeled chestnuts hot. beautiful plate. Eat them with soft music or a good old French comedy, and enjoy the Parisian romance at home.

How to fry shrimp →

How to brew rose hips →

How to cook dried fruit compote →

How to roast chestnuts at home. How to cook edible chestnuts in the oven, slow cooker and frying pan

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

This unique product many housewives and cooks use not only as independent dish, but they also make soups, pilaf, etc. from it. The only thing that is important to take into account is that chestnuts can only be eaten hot, as soon as you take them out of the oven or from the frying pan, 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 correctly: select fruits suitable for eating, pour water over those that float, collect and throw away, and continue working with the rest. Make cross-shaped cuts from the sharp edge using scissors or a fork and send them to fry. This action determines how easy it will be to peel the chestnuts later, and this is also where any roasted chestnut recipe begins.

What chestnuts can you eat?

In cooking, roasted chestnuts - famous dish with amazing taste. Before you roast 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, according to appearance and shaped like an onion with a small tail at the sharp end - as in the photo.

It is worth noting that lumpy round nuts (horse nuts) are strictly prohibited for cooking, because in best case scenario it threatens you food poisoning. Such fruits grow on trees among large, spreading leaves in central Russia, so residents of warm regions are better off not taking risks and, if desired, prepare chestnuts, select and buy them in the nearest store.

The benefits and harms of roasted chestnuts

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

Among the positive qualities, it is worth paying special attention 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 a product is played by its the nutritional value and composition: water, ash, saturated fatty acids, mono- and disaccharides, dietary fiber.
Contraindications to the use of chestnuts include the fact that fried they contain carbohydrates and a large number of starch, and this is unacceptable for people prone to obesity.

Calorie content of roasted chestnuts

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 quantity 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

So 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 on a regular or special frying pan with holes, bake in the oven, boil. Read on for tips to help you understand how to roast chestnuts at home.

How to fry chestnuts in a frying pan

The presented method is a classic method for preparing edible fruits. Before frying chestnuts in a frying pan, you need to soak them and then use them, taking only those that have fallen to the bottom of the bowl. Step-by-step instruction:

Prick or cut each fruit with a fork.
Place the nuts in a frying pan filled with hot oil and cover with a paper towel. Wet the napkins several times during frying - this will prevent the fruit from drying out.
Cover the dish with a lid and fry for 30 minutes, turning the heat to medium. It is recommended to shake the nuts periodically without opening the lid.
Serve the dish, adding salt or sprinkling with sugar - as you wish.

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

Peel the already roasted nuts from the film, pour in milk until the liquid covers them 2 cm above.
Add a couple of spoons of honey and a cinnamon stick.
Set the dish to simmer until main ingredient will not become soft. Before sending the delicacy to the fire, you can add more cedar cake - this will make the taste of the dessert even more interesting.

How to cook chestnuts in the oven

You can bake an exotic nut using oven– the process is even simpler than frying in a pan. Known method How to cook chestnuts in the oven is as follows:

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

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

Place the fruits in a shallow but wide microwave-safe dish.
Lightly salt the product and pour in 3 tablespoons of hot water. Roasting this way is not practical, but the nuts can be steamed for easy cleaning.
Cover the dish with a lid (not a glass plate) or film, leave the dish for 8 minutes, turning the power of the equipment to maximum.
Try one thing, then either continue the process, or serve the delicacy to the table by pouring your favorite sauce on the plate.

How to cook chestnuts at home - recommendations from chefs

A healthy product containing many vitamins and protein, many people like it. However, not everyone knows how to cook chestnuts, and so that you can enjoy this snack at home and not in a restaurant, follow these recommendations:

Before cooking chestnuts in a frying pan, they must all be cut - this way they will not “jump out” when heated.
Post raw ingredients You need to add one layer to the pan, and 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 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 shine. Baked, boiled or roasted nut It will keep longer if you put it in the freezer.