Roasted chestnuts have long been eaten by the British, Greeks and French and considered them not an exquisite delicacy, but rather necessary product. Every poor man knew how to cook chestnuts. Now the chestnut is considered a symbol of France, in honor of which they organize holidays and write songs. On festive squares they are eaten hot straight from the bags, washed down with wine.
In botany, there are noble and horse chestnuts, which differ not only in fruits, but also in leaves. Noble is eaten, calling it a real chestnut. In Russia, they grow horse, unsuitable for food and poisonous to humans, but serving as an excellent decoration for city parks and alleys. But in the market and in the store you can buy the fruits of a noble chestnut grown in countries with a subtropical climate.
Description
You can find edible chestnuts in the nut section of the supermarket. They should be brown in color with an elongated tail. The fruits of the noble plant were called Euboean nuts in honor of the island of Euboea, where chestnut trees were intensively bred. By the end of summer, spherical fruits appear on the branches of the plant, resembling a small apple in size. The fruits are studded with thorns, which crack when ripe and fall to the ground. The chestnut itself is shiny and dark brown, smooth to the touch.
Chestnuts were considered bread for the population of many countries. The tree does not require special care, but it gives a rich, tasty and nutritious harvest that helped people out in famine years. Chestnut flour is similar to wheat flour, but more yellow and sweeter. If you mix both varieties, the bread will turn out to be much tastier, since noble flour contains much more sugar, protein and fat.
Still wet fruits are harvested from the trees, and in order to obtain flour, they are subjected to artificial drying. It is impossible to dry a huge amount of nuts under the changeable autumn sun. During drying, the kernels shrink, the peel becomes brittle and easily separated from the pulp. In the old days they were cleaned different ways- threshed in wooden boxes, poured into bags and beaten on logs, trampled with heavy shoes with metal soles.
The green, inedible prickly cupule protects the nuts from forest animals and provides the starchy seed with enough carbohydrates for full ripening. Mankind has come up with many ways to cook chestnuts. They are boiled, dried, fried, baked. The tradition of roasting chestnuts on an open fire is still preserved and is considered the best way their preparations, both in France and in England. But chestnut is valuable not only for delicious nuts, but also for wood with amazing unique patterns. It lends itself well to polishing and is resistant to decay.
The benefits of chestnuts
The kernels are considered a source of starch, fiber and sugar. They contain vitamins, tannins, pectins, minerals. Parts of the tree (bark, leaves, branches) are used for medical purposes:
- a decoction of dried leaves is used to treat bronchitis;
- fresh leaves are cured of whooping cough;
- alcohol tincture gets rid of eating disorders and dysentery;
- fruits and bark relieve swelling caused by kidney disease;
- walnut decoction helps to cure boils and abscesses;
- nuclei reduce pressure, help get rid of heart disorders, treat thrombosis, phlebitis, varicose veins;
- cases are known when with the help of fresh fruits it was possible to recover from malaria;
- fried pulp is used for uterine and hemorrhoidal bleeding.
The benefit of chestnuts lies in their low fat content compared to walnuts, or.
Contraindications
In chronic diseases of the intestines, kidneys, liver, you should consult a doctor before using chestnuts for treatment. Those who suffer from diabetes and poor blood clotting should not use them. They can also cause allergies. Sometimes people confuse noble walnut with horse walnut, which causes serious poisoning. Although it is quite difficult to confuse the fruits - they differ in an elongated shape.
How chestnuts are prepared
Recipes for healthy roasted and roasted chestnuts have been preserved since ancient times almost unchanged. Reddish fruits are eaten with salt and sugar, and are also added to other dishes for a variety of taste. There are several ways to cook chestnuts. Since roasting chestnuts is not difficult, they are easy to prepare at home. If you ask a European how best to cook chestnut fruits at home, he will advise you to fry them. They are fried in a pan, on a grill, on a wire rack, in an oven and in a microwave.
in a frying pan
The easiest and most affordable way is to fry in a pan. It is better if it is a special frying pan with holes. Since chestnuts are often a rarity in the home of residents of Russia and Ukraine, you can fry them in a frying pan with thick walls. Teflon is not suitable for these purposes. To fry a European delicacy, you don’t need much: a knife, napkins or paper towels and a frying pan.
Before cooking, several cuts are made on the fruits so that they cannot explode due to moisture overflowing them. Spread in even layers in a dry preheated pan and cover with damp napkins. Simmer for 20 minutes in a sealed container. During this time, they are stirred, and the napkins are moistened. When the shell starts to crack and peel off easily, it's time to check the chestnuts. If they have darkened, the shell has cracked and the flesh is visible in places, then they are cooked. They are cleaned immediately, without waiting for cooling. Eat hot with the addition of salt and vegetable oil.
In the oven
Chestnuts are fried both in a pan and in the oven. To do this, cross-shaped shallow incisions are made on the fruits along the edges. It is better to put them not on a baking sheet, but on a wire rack with cuts up. The processed fruits are placed in an oven heated to 220 C and after 15-20 minutes. check their condition. If the cuts turn into an open flower, the product is ready. It is important to remove the peel while it is still warm, so it is better to put kitchen gloves on your hands. Put the finished pulp on a towel for 5 minutes. then submit.
in the microwave
Roasting chestnuts without cuts at home is dangerous (they can explode), it is better to cut or pierce each of them with a knife, as when cooking in a pan and in the oven, so that steam comes out. Place in a shallow microwave-safe bowl, season with salt and pour in some water. You can't fry them in the microwave. You can only steam and clean, and then fry them in oil. The dishes are covered with cling film and set at full power for 8 minutes. then they try. If the nuts are not ready, add time.
In air grill
As in previous cases, chestnuts are roasted with cross cuts. Spread on a baking sheet, and set the temperature on the timer to 180 C. Bake for about half an hour. The main secret baking noble chestnuts in an air grill is the placement of fruits on foil. From above they are also recommended to be covered with foil.
Boiled chestnuts
How to roast chestnuts is known, but how to boil them at home? To do this, you need to wash the fruits and cut them on the side. Then prepared chestnuts are poured with water and boiled for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and remove from boiling water one at a time, peeling and peeling. For cooking mashed potatoes, you can use unpeeled fruits, boil them for 20 minutes, and only then peel them.
cooking secrets
How to cook delicious and nutritious chestnuts at home? There are several secrets that will provide an unusual product with excellent taste and aroma.
- When buying edible chestnuts, you need to pay attention to the kernels - they should be wrinkled with a brown shiny skin.
- Purchased fruits should be thoroughly washed and dried. They are filled with boiling water. Those that float up are unusable, and those that have settled to the bottom are taken away and cleaned from the shell.
- They should be fried at the right time. If you overdo it a little, then the kernels will become dry and hard.
- The peel is most easily removed from hot fruits.
- It is necessary to remove all films, membranes and membranes from fried kernels.
- No need to cook more than you can eat at one time. Stale nuts will become tasteless and dry out quickly.
- Chestnut flour, although very tasty and fragrant, has a short shelf life. It must be used immediately and not stored for more than 1 month. It is advisable to mix it with wheat flour.
- It is recommended to store raw chestnuts in a cool dark place.
Recipes
Roasting chestnuts is not at all difficult, they can be included in many recipes, and diversify your diet from familiar products both vegetable and meat. Since it is not always pleasant to roast chestnuts at home (they emit a lot of smoke), you can simply pour boiling water over them. They are very tasty and raw, if you add sauce, meat and herbs to them. Some housewives grind the fried kernels in a blender and fill them with milk. This puree is a semi-finished product for making soufflés, sauces and bread dough. You can add the mixture to muffins, pies and cakes. Crushed chestnuts will surprisingly complement the taste of ice cream. Pounded chestnuts go well with vegetables - cabbage, carrots, mushrooms.
chestnut dessert
To please children or guests, you can cook chestnuts as a dessert. This will require:
- 60 g butter;
- 500 g fresh fruits;
- 100 g of sugar (you can honey).
The washed fruits are cut and placed in the oven. Half an hour later, when the chestnuts are cooked, they are taken out and cleaned. Peeled kernels are boiled in a saucepan. After 5 min. transfer to a mold and mix with butter, honey or sugar. Bake in the oven for 2 minutes. when serving to adults, chestnuts are poured with cognac, and for children - with yogurt.
Chestnuts with cauliflower
- cauliflower 450 g;
- chestnut fruits -250 g;
- butter;
- one egg.
boil cauliflower in a closed saucepan 15 min. Remove, separate the florets and chop finely. Cut the chestnuts and send to the pan. As soon as they start to bounce, mix and fold on paper napkins. Cut the peeled fruits. Place the cabbage in a frying pan greased with butter, add chestnuts and a beaten egg to it. Salt and cover. Simmer over low heat for 3 min. Then stir and leave for 5 minutes. Serve with milk sauce.
chestnut puree
- 1 kg of fruits;
- 1 glass of whole milk;
- butter;
- salt.
Pour boiling water over clean chestnuts, strain and peel. Cut the fruits into small pieces, place in a saucepan. Pour in milk and simmer over low heat until completely softened. The resulting mass, like a potato, crush, add oil and salt. Puree goes very well with poultry meat and bread.
Cook healthy meals from edible chestnuts is not difficult, the main thing is to include high-quality peeled, washed fruits in the recipe, both without damage and without mold
In November, appetizing Caucasian chestnuts appear on the markets of our country. In many European countries, chestnuts have become one of the most favorite dishes. Unfortunately, they appear on sale only in the middle of autumn, during the ripening of these nuts.
Roasted chestnuts are very popular with the onset of the Christmas holidays.
These delicious nuts are considered a symbol of the Christmas table in European countries. Turkeys are stuffed with chestnuts and various desserts are prepared from them, fried and baked in the oven. Baked chestnuts have recently gained popularity in our country.
There are a great variety of edible chestnuts, but it is the “sweet chestnuts” that are especially popular. Chestnuts, like ordinary nuts, have high calorie content. But compared to almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, chestnuts contain a small amount of fat. Chestnuts are ideal for a vegetarian diet. The composition of these fruits contains about 3% of useful minerals, 3.5% of fiber, vitamins A, B and C.
What chestnuts can you eat
Although there are many different types chestnuts, not all of them can be eaten. Those chestnuts that bloom with candles and grow in parks and near our homes are ordinary horse chestnuts. The fruits of these chestnuts are inedible. They can be easily distinguished from southern chestnuts. Only one chestnut grows in a small box with thick thorns. South Caucasian chestnuts are more like hedgehogs, they have small needles that are tightly located to each other. Each box contains several fruits.
Southern chestnuts have a sweetish taste, while horse chestnuts, on the contrary, are very bitter. Horse chestnuts are not poisonous, they contain many useful substances, but it is not advisable to eat such chestnuts. Edible chestnuts grow mainly in the Caucasus and Europe. They come to the shelves of our stores from Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The most valuable are the Sicilian chestnuts. European chestnuts are practically not exported, which is why it is almost impossible to find chestnuts the size of a tangerine in stores or on the market. Today we will tell you how to cook chestnuts at home.
How to roast chestnuts
The first step is to cut the chestnuts. This can be done using special scissors or you can use a regular knife. Make a small incision on the side of the fruit to just grab the flesh of the nut. You can also cut the chestnut skin crosswise from a sharper edge. It is with the cleansing of the skin that any recipe for the preparation of these fruits begins.
In this way, you will make holes in the chestnuts for steam to escape and you can start frying them in a pan. To cook chestnuts on the stove, it is advisable to use a thick-walled dish with a lid, such as the one in which you cook popcorn. You can use a grill pan for this. Put it on the stove and heat over moderate heat without adding oil. Now you can put chestnuts on a heated pan.
If you are using old chestnuts and the cuts show wrinkled and dark flesh, you can add a little water to the pan or cover them with a damp towel. Thus, the chestnuts will steam well at the first stage of cooking and they will not be dry when ready. But these manipulations can not be done, the end result will still turn out to be successful. The most important thing is to fry the chestnuts in a frying pan under a lid over low heat, stirring occasionally. When the chestnuts start popping loud enough and bouncing around, you can only shake the pan or thick-walled pot a little.
Now you can check the nuts. If suddenly the chestnuts have darkened, and the shell has peeled off in places and light flesh is visible through the cut, then the chestnuts are completely ready. Let the cooked chestnuts cool slightly and carefully remove the skin from them and you can eat them. Don't wait until the roasted chestnuts are completely cool, as they will taste very different.
How to cook chestnuts in the microwave
You can also cook chestnuts in microwave oven. This is the most modern, fastest and safest method of cooking, of course, if you are not too lazy to make cuts on chestnuts.
As mentioned above, cut each chestnut with a sharp knife, place them in a not very deep microwaveable container. Lightly salt the chestnuts to taste and add a couple of tablespoons of water. Since it is impossible to roast chestnuts in the microwave, steam them a little and carefully remove the skin. If desired, you can fry the chestnuts a little in oil.
Cover the container with chestnuts with a lid or cling film and place in the microwave at full power for about seven minutes. After this time, taste one chestnut and, if necessary, continue cooking for a few more minutes.
How to cook chestnuts in the oven
Optionally, you can cook chestnuts in the oven. For this method, it is desirable to make a small cross-shaped incision on the fruits on either side.
Take a dry baking sheet and put all the prepared chestnuts on it, place in a preheated oven. After about twenty minutes, you can check the condition of the fruits. If suddenly the chestnut cuts open, then you can turn off the oven. Put on mittens so as not to burn your hands, pull out the chestnuts and carefully remove the skin.
Dessert from chestnuts
You want to please your children or pleasantly surprise invited guests, in this case, cook unusual dessert from chestnuts.
3 tablespoons butter,
500 grams of fresh chestnuts,
85 milligrams of cognac,
First of all, you need to peel the chestnuts. Make cross cuts on the fruit and place on a baking sheet in the oven. Heat the chestnuts in the oven until the skin bursts. Remove the chestnuts from the oven and remove the skin.
Boil the peeled chestnuts for five minutes. Transfer the boiled chestnuts to a refractory form, mix with a little sugar and butter. Roast the chestnuts in the oven for five minutes. Pour cognac over cooked chestnuts while serving.
A beautiful plant - chestnut is familiar only to a certain part of the world's population, since, due to its natural characteristics, it can grow and multiply only in special climatic conditions. But despite this, roasted chestnuts today can be tasted in any part of the world. It will not be difficult for travel lovers to find at least one institution in any city in Europe, Asia, America and the countries of the former Soviet Union, where they would not treat this delicacy or show how to roast chestnuts.
What is useful in chestnuts
The chestnut belongs to the beech genus, but there are only a few edible species that can be eaten.
If you choose the wrong type of chestnut for food, you can seriously harm your health.
The mineral composition of the edible species of this plant includes:
- starch;
- carbohydrates;
- protein;
- cellulose;
- tannins;
- beta carotene;
- vitamins A, C and group B.
The energy value of chestnut is 170 kcal per 100 g of product. In addition, roasted chestnuts, the benefits of which also consist in the presence of a number of useful substances - potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, manganese and selenium are very much in demand as a component diet menu product. The fats and proteins that make up chestnuts make them highly nutritious and especially popular with athletes.
Known benefits of chestnuts in the treatment of upper respiratory tract, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, leg fatigue and swelling. You should not use roasted and baked chestnuts for people with gastrointestinal diseases, patients with diabetes and blood problems, as well as those who care about their figure.
In my own way appearance edible and decorative chestnuts do not differ from each other in appearance.
How to Roast Chestnuts
Due to the popularity of this special product, many are interested in how to roast chestnuts at home. To begin with, it is worth choosing from the available chestnut fruits that are not spoiled, good quality. To check which of them can be eaten, you need to fill them with water. Those chestnuts that float should be removed, and those that have settled to the bottom can be cooked.
How to cook chestnuts yourself
There is a standard method for roasting chestnuts at home, the recipe of which is as follows:
- Before frying the fruits, it is necessary to pierce or cut them in several places with a fork. This will prevent them from exploding.
- Chestnuts are placed in a deep frying pan filled with oil, a few wet wipes are laid on top of them. This is one of the tricks on how to roast chestnuts at home so that they are not hard and dry. The pan must be covered with a lid - this is another feature of how to properly roast chestnuts. if the chestnuts start to burst and explode, then bouncing they will not fall out of the pan.
- How long to roast chestnuts should not exceed 30 minutes. Periodically during frying, chestnuts should be shaken with the lid closed.
- The finished dish is lightly salted and served chilled.
Roasted chestnuts, the recipe of which is described above - this is classic way their cooking, which recalls the taste of this dish offered in some countries - France, Spain and others right on the street. The above method shows how to fry chestnuts in a pan. But there are other ways that offer to do it in the oven or even on an open fire, on a fire during a picnic.
Before frying chestnuts, it should be noted that their edible form is much smaller than horse chestnuts, and also has a flat surface on one side. Roasted chestnuts, the recipe for which involves soaking them, can be easily peeled after cooking - you just need to press on them from above and they will begin to crack and peel.
It is best to peel the chestnuts right away, as it will be much more difficult to do this later.
Knowing how to roast chestnuts in a pan, you can cook a large number of dishes with it. Roasted chestnuts are often used as an addition to salads, an additional ingredient for meat and fish dishes.
Recipes with roasted chestnuts
At home, you can cook delicious baked chestnut fruits. We offer a recipe for how to roast chestnuts in the oven without spending a lot of time. To do this, chestnuts in the amount of 20 pieces, which are laid out in a preheated oven, are baked for 35 minutes. They are cleaned while still warm.
Since you can bake chestnuts in the oven at home even before the arrival of guests, this will be a pleasant surprise, especially for those who love unusual and exotic dishes. Roasted chestnuts can be added to salads and other types of dishes. We offer a recipe for one of the salads with baked chestnuts, which is prepared according to the following principle:
- Peel the chestnuts baked in the oven, add arugula, cherry tomatoes, Bell pepper and undercooked durum pasta.
- The sauce is prepared separately - olive oil is mixed with lemon juice.
- The ingredients are mixed and seasoned with sauce.
Vegetarian roast with chestnuts
This dish is popular among people who do not eat meat - vegetarians. The protein that prevails in chestnut fruits and mushrooms can replace meat. The method of preparing this dish is quite easy and will not take much time from the hostess.
Cooking
- Mushrooms are fried and stewed with cognac until the liquid has completely evaporated.
- Chestnuts are cleaned and crushed with hazelnuts.
- On the olive oil fry garlic, onion. Add cumin with thyme.
- All contents are mixed and placed in a mold, adding a little water.
- Put the dish in a preheated oven and bake for about 40 minutes.
chestnuts in milk
For this dish you will need:
- chestnuts - 500 g;
- milk - 0.5 l;
- sugar (honey) - 2 tbsp. l.;
- cinnamon - 1 pc.
Ingredients
Cooking
- Peel fresh chestnuts.
- Boil chestnut kernels for several minutes in water, then peel off the film.
- Put the kernels in milk and add sugar or honey, cinnamon stick.
- Put the container with milk and chestnuts on water bath and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes to soften the chestnuts.
This wonderful dessert will delight lovers of roasted and baked chestnuts with its unusual taste and original preparation.
Chestnuts are national pride and a highlight of French cuisine. However, they did not immediately fall into the category of exquisite delicacies. For a long time this product was considered the food of the lower strata of the population - the poor. They simply collected ripe kernels and roasted them on hot coals. The tradition of selling hot chestnuts has been preserved to this day. Many tourists, traveling in France, could well see how this delicacy is prepared right on the street. Some, returning home from a trip, want to repeat cooking masterpiece and wonder why, when cooked, the kitchen becomes like a minefield - the chestnuts explode and scatter, and their taste is nothing like the original. The thing is that you need to know how to eat chestnuts, how to cook them properly and what varieties can generally be used.
What are chestnuts?
The first trees with edible kernels were brought to France from the East as early as the 13th century. Chestnuts were called breadfruit.
Edible chestnuts: benefits and harms, contraindications, how to cook edible chestnuts
It was believed that if someone has a seedling or an adult tree growing in the garden, then this person will always be full and rich. The chestnuts had another name. Due to the fact that pigs were fed with their fruits, the tree was called sausage.
However, it should be said that not all chestnuts can be eaten. The inedible variety is called horse, and medicines and tinctures are prepared from it. But the fruits of the edible, or noble, chestnut are just eaten and prepared from it. various dishes. This variety grows in southern Europe. Ripe fruits are harvested in late autumn. For better storage, each chestnut should be pricked in several places with a sharp needle.
Today it is the most exquisite delicacy served in France. The locals just love it. In October, they celebrate the festival of chestnuts, and also add these fruits to many dishes. They can be fried, steamed, added to sweets, ice cream, sausages and side dishes. Traditionally, chestnuts are used to stuff the Christmas turkey, and on the basis of a special paste, this product is used to prepare delicate creams for decorating cakes and pastries.
How are chestnuts prepared?
The most common way to prepare chestnuts is to roast their kernels over hot coals. To prevent them from exploding and flying over the brazier during cooking, small cuts are made on the hard shell with a sharp knife. This ancient technique has survived to this day, when chestnuts are cooked in a pan, in the oven or in the microwave. However, if you have been to France or watched travel videos, you may well have seen that street chefs do not make any cuts on the skin of the kernels when preparing this delicacy. The thing is that when frying a large number of chestnuts, cutting the shell of each of them is a rather laborious task. Therefore, the cook uses a special grate that prevents the kernels from scattering in different directions.
Baked chestnuts are far from the only way to prepare a delicacy. For example, this product may well replace potatoes in its own way. palatability. You will also get a very tasty and fragrant pilaf if you add several kernels to it. Chestnuts are used for stuffing poultry, pork, they are added to sauces and sweets.
And from the peeled kernels of this tree, flour is made, which is used to make pies, pies, cakes, pancakes and other pastries. Chestnuts are glazed, and then they taste like sweets. Specially made paste is perfect for decorating cakes, making creams and jams. In addition, there is another chestnut product - honey.
How to eat chestnuts
If someone is interested in the question of how to eat chestnuts, it is worth noting that some rules for their use still exist. For example, they should not be eaten by pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding. It is worth refraining from absorbing delicacies and those who suffer from food allergies. Still, an unfamiliar product can cause an undesirable reaction of the body. Well, chestnuts are forbidden for those people who have a history of kidney failure.
You should also carefully approach the choice of the right variety. For example, when eating horse chestnuts, you can get serious food poisoning. Yes, and edible varieties should be treated with caution, since the abuse of this product usually causes bloating and intestinal problems.
Roasted chestnuts
Most of us perceive chestnuts only as plants, but in fact they can also be an excellent delicacy. Lovers of unusual taste roast fresh chestnuts and eat them. It is worth noting that it is not only tasty, but also healthy, as they contain a lot of potassium, fiber, vitamins, ascorbic and folic acids.
Roasted chestnuts are sold right on the streets of many European cities, as well as roasted peanuts, and if you want to try this non-standard dish, we will tell you how to cook roasted chestnuts yourself. It is only worth remembering that there are several types of chestnuts and not all of them are safe and suitable for eating. Therefore, if you yourself do not know how to choose the right harmless fruits, then it is better to buy them in a store.
In addition, before starting cooking, the quality of chestnuts is also worth checking. To do this, put them in a pot of water and see which ones float to the surface. These fruits are spoiled and should not be eaten.
Roasted chestnuts - recipe
There are several ways to cook this food, but in this recipe we want to take a closer look at how to roast chestnuts in a pan.
First of all, you need to choose fresh chestnuts and wash them. After that, make a cross cut on each chestnut so that they do not explode when they are roasted. Take a pan with holes in the base (you can do without them), put the chestnuts on it and cover them with napkins or paper towels, well moistened with water and folded several times.
Close the pan with a lid, put on a small fire and cook your dish, shaking it occasionally so that all the chestnuts are evenly roasted. During frying, the condition of the napkins should be monitored, if they begin to dry out, they must be moistened in water, poured from a bottle, for example.
On average, chestnuts are roasted for about 20 minutes, their readiness can be determined by the condition of the peel. When it is already pretty dark and charred, remove the napkins and cook the dish for a couple more minutes, shaking the pan. Pour the finished chestnuts onto a dish and try immediately, as they are the most delicious when warm.
How to roast chestnuts in the oven?
If you do not have a pan suitable for roasting chestnuts or you prefer to cook your dishes in the oven, we will share a method on how to roast chestnuts in it properly.
Take fresh chestnuts, wash them and dry them. Then make a cross cut on one side of each and place them cut side up on a baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees and send the chestnuts into it for 20-30 minutes. Then take them out, wrap them in a towel and squeeze a little so that the peel is behind the pulp. Leave the chestnuts in a towel for 5 minutes and then serve.
How to roast chestnuts in the microwave?
The main condition for the safe preparation of chestnuts in the microwave is to make cuts, on each of them with a knife or pierce with a fork, so that steam comes out of them.
When all the fruits are ready, put them in a wide, but shallow dish for the microwave oven. 
Pour in a few tablespoons. hot water and sprinkle with a little salt. Cover the dish with a lid (preferably not glass) or cling film and turn on the microwave at full power for 6-8 minutes.
Taste the chestnuts and cook for a couple more minutes if needed. Please note that in the microwave you get not so much fried as steamed chestnuts. They taste very good in this form, but if you want, you can peel the fruits and fry the kernels for 4-5 minutes with or without oil. Well, if you want to try other dishes with these fruits, then it’s better to ask how to cook chestnuts.
More recently, this fruit, which in some places replaces potatoes and corn for local residents, was completely alien to us. Today we are looking more and more at chestnuts- not only on European trips, but also in the menu of restaurants, in shops and in their own kitchens.
What are chestnuts
In the courtyard of my childhood, as in many other old Moscow courtyards, a luxurious chestnut tree grew. It can be said that it was an exemplary chestnut tree: it reached the height of the sixth floor, regularly bloomed with elegant candles in May and dropped weighty cones on an inappropriately installed bench in sunny October. Hard greenish pebbles were used for a variety of children's games, but if someone told us that somewhere they are fried, boiled and made into cakes with chocolate, we would laugh in his face. By the way, they would have done the right thing, because that chestnut, obviously, was horse- its leaves looked like figured star-shaped paws (in a tree with edible fruits, they are oblong and are attached to the branch stalk one by one).
Edible chestnuts do not grow in our latitudes. The nearest place on the map is the Caucasus, Armenia and Azerbaijan, but even there they somehow turn out to be small, like walnuts, while in Europe it is the size of a good tangerine. However, especially large ones are valued almost like truffles and are not even exported. You can meet them in southern France, in Spain and, of course, in Italy, where, of course, solid delicacies will be born.
The most selective - in Sicily, just good - in the north of the country. In Piedmont, in Lombardy, on the streets you can see signs warning of the seasonal fall of nuts (chestnuts are nuts). During this very fall, passers-by, without hesitation, pick up the crop, lay it out, satisfied, in their cases and bags from Furla - of course, you don’t have to pay three euros per kilo, like in a supermarket!
In the north of Italy, extremely rare for Europe wild chestnut forests, where whole companies go with baskets in September-October. And mothers of families remember dozens of recipes for preparing this autumn gift of nature. You need to hurry: chestnuts are poorly stored - after a couple of days they begin to dry out and deteriorate. True, if you freeze them baked or boiled, then you can then use the whole season, and the taste will not suffer.
However, where nature does not throw chestnuts. One of the varieties - fragrant chestnuts tamba- grows on the Japanese island of Honshu. In the Land of the Rising Sun, chestnuts are highly respected - among the poetic Japanese people they are considered the same symbol of autumn, as cherry blossoms are a symbol of spring. Fresh Tamba chestnuts are so sweet that no sugar is added to them when they are cooked. rice balls kurimochi, an appetizer for amaguri beer or filling for waffles sold at bustling intersections of old cities.
How to eat chestnuts
We also gradually got acquainted with chestnuts. Sooner or later, each of us came to Europe for Christmas and was fascinated by its magic. Winter, perhaps, was warm and almost snowless - such that one wanted to walk and walk. In the old city, around the cathedral, a festive market bustled and offered all kinds of glittering and singing treasures. Fragrant corrugations were baked everywhere, punch and mulled wine were poured, warming up interest in life. And, of course, an integral part of this whole tale were the chestnut sellers, who theatrically managed in the falling twilight with their antediluvian braziers. On the iron sheets, brown chestnuts bounced, crackled, and glowed to a noble golden hue. The bursting balls were poured into a paper bag - then they easily opened, showering the skin, and burned pleasantly. The taste was reminiscent of hazelnuts and at the same time boiled sweet potatoes, which are baked on the streets of Asian megacities. But it happened in Paris, or Rome, or Strasbourg, Cologne, Vienna ...
In general, our memories of the day when we first tasted chestnuts are not without sentimentality. However, leaving sentiment aside, cook exotic nuts obtained in an ordinary market or in an expensive gastroboutique, and in your own kitchen. The easiest recipe fry them in the same primitive way: make an incision (otherwise they will explode) on the flat side, put them in a frying pan (not on Teflon, of course), cover with a lid and listen to how they jump there, ready to burst and show the world a tender, crumbly inside. However, the most delicious chestnuts are not those that have already burst, but those that are about to burst, “on the verge” ... But defining this “just about” is almost an art. Only professionals own it. For example, the Japanese who roast their Tamba chestnuts in drums filled with hot river sand without leaving the temperature control unattended.
Chestnuts are delicious exceptionally hot, just from a brazier or pan. If you are aiming not for a fleeting connection (student dinner: chestnuts and new wine), but for a serious relationship, this stage of roasting can be the beginning of what is called a beautiful friendship. With a spoon, carefully remove the warm pulp from the cracked skin and cook in one of dozens of ways.
How to cook chestnuts
Let's say chestnuts can be served as garnish for roast- instead of the usual potatoes. Or add to pilaf. Or, as in the Caucasus, put them with a lot of onions in a bowl, where cooking meat, and leave for ten to fifteen minutes: the chestnuts will have a completely different flavor. And they will need to be served separately, generously sprinkled with pomegranate seeds.
Good for a suburban lunch combination with apples and: first, by pouring water, bring the chestnuts to a pleasant softness, then, draining the water, add chopped apples and butter and simmer until the fruits become soft. Prunes and nuts will add piquancy to the dish.
Chestnuts are baked, fried, boiled, they are also stuffed with poultry: in America - for Thanksgiving Day, in Europe - for Christmas. We are not bound by age-old traditions and can stuff a rooster or a turkey right now. By the way, capon stuffed with chestnuts and armagnac is sold in gastronomic boutiques for incredible sums.
Chestnut is generally a favorite of haute cuisine masters. And those who like to create unusual flavor combinations. By the way, in such combinations, it is perfect as a souvenir: they just brought me jam from Paris, it's called "chestnuts and Chinese smoked tea." It is almost unsweetened, you can't eat it with cookies or pancakes - just an artifact.
Friends who are interested in gastronomy will appreciate the beauty of the game if you cook for them chestnut soup. It does not require special knowledge or effort: to meat broth seasoned with onions, garlic, celery and parsley, after chestnuts, you need to add a spoonful of butter, a glass of cream and a little alcohol like brandy.
When there is no time to mess around with roasting and peeling nuts, you can use canned chestnut puree. It forms the basis for dozens of interesting and easy-to-make dishes. Mostly, of course, sweet. The simplest cake, which does not even need to be baked: stir well a couple of glasses of mashed potatoes with 175 grams of butter, 300 grams of dark chocolate and a few tablespoons of rum, put in a mold and keep overnight in the refrigerator. Or just whip the puree with the cream.
From chestnut flour fragrant cookies(m-m, with pine nuts and raisins), but probably most of us, especially children, love whole chestnuts: nibbling a nut large like an egg, besides with such an unusual taste - who doesn’t like it? Our weakness is indulged primarily by manufacturers marron glaces- glazed chestnuts, which can be found in any French, Spanish or Italian supermarket.
Chestnuts aged in sugar syrup and hidden in a shell of thick chocolate or white icing, it is easy to cook on your own. Even easier - "drunk" chestnuts: pour one hundred grams of sugar into a glass of red wine, put boiled chestnuts and simmer for a while over medium heat until a syrup is formed. Then, while still hot, put whipped cream on the featherbed, sprinkle with vanilla and garnish with mint and candied fruit.
We sell edible chestnuts in three types: fresh unpeeled, fresh-frozen peeled and pickled. The latter are already finished products, without additional processing they can be added to a salad, for example, in combination with an orange or smoked fillet duck breast. Freshly frozen chestnuts must first be roasted and then used, say, in soup with porcini mushrooms. And fresh, unpeeled nuts should be cut, covered with foil and baked in the oven for about 20 minutes, then salted and eaten just like seeds or corn are eaten.
Another unusual “chestnut” product, directly related to nuts, however, has nothing to do with it, is honey. Pleasantly liquid (does not crystallize until spring, and maybe longer, it just didn’t stay with us longer), dark brown - exactly chestnut! - colors with light fragrance and amazing bitter taste. It is useful in kidney and stomach diseases, kills microbes. One hundred percent chestnut honey does not exist - it would be too bitter, bees collect pollen from other plants. And the more clearly bitterness is felt in honey, the more chestnut itself is in it.
Surely many have heard that in addition to eiffel tower, a symbol of Paris are numerous street vendors. Indeed, right on the sidewalks there are miniature, and sometimes not very miniature braziers, on which this simple delicacy is prepared.
Having tried it, many tourists ask themselves the question: “How to roast chestnuts at home? And how feasible is this? This can really be easily reproduced in your kitchen, having a gas or electric stove and a baking sheet or pan.
at home?
Before proceeding to the description of the process itself, let's talk about where to get raw materials for it. The fact is that the fruits of the growing in almost all regions of our country, except for the very horse chestnut, are not suitable for food. Yes, they are very beautiful - lacquered brown rounds, but they taste very bitter.
To do this, you need to go to the market or supermarket and purchase a completely different variety - edible trees. They even look different from the horse - much smaller, darker in color and one side is necessarily flat. Strictly speaking, they are not even chestnuts, since the tree on which they grow belongs to the beech family, but we will not go into botanical details now, since we need to eat them, not classify them.
How to roast chestnuts in a pan or on a baking sheet?
Before proceeding with the actual preparation of the dish, the fruits must be lowered into the water. In addition to the fact that dirt will be washed off from them, you can still reject spoiled chestnuts - they will simply pop up. They need to be thrown away, and the rest should be dried and pricked with a fork or cut with a knife. If this is not done, then during the cooking process, the water that the fruits are soaked in will boil and break the shell. That is, you get a series of miniature explosions - a kind of mini-cannonade in your kitchen, similar to the one that occurs when frying popcorn. But grains of corn are much smaller than chestnuts, so it is better not to bring them to such a state.
Another trick related to how to roast chestnuts at home is that the fruits laid on a baking sheet or pan must be covered with wet wipes. This will prevent them from drying out excessively during the cooking process and becoming hard. They will fry for about half an hour, and during this time you will need to replace the dried napkins with fresh ones a couple of times.
If you chose a skillet as a dish, then cover it with a lid, because, despite the cuts, some chestnuts can still explode, and you will have to collect them all over the kitchen. It is not necessary to cover the baking sheet, since these “jumps” will not be able to leave the oven.
The readiness of the fruit is determined simply - press the chestnut with your finger. If it's soft, then it's time to take it off the heat. Now you know how to roast chestnuts at home and you can enjoy this dish yourself and treat your loved ones without even being in Paris. And do not deny yourself the pleasure of trying raw fruits - they are also very tasty.
Calorie content and composition of roasted chestnuts. To whom this dish will benefit, and to whom it can harm. How to eat and cook it properly.
The content of the article:
Roasted chestnut is a fruit of the same tree from the Beech family cooked in a special brazier, oven or in a regular frying pan. Culture came to us from the south of the Balkan Peninsula. Today it grows mainly in the Mediterranean, East Asia and on the Atlantic coast of the United States. There are many varieties of chestnut, but not all fruits are edible. The most famous edible varieties are the European sowing, the softest Chinese and the Japanese or town. They are not grown in Russia. They need a long warm summer and not a harsh winter, they grow in the countries of southern Europe, Asia and America. Chestnuts are considered nuts, and by the way, they are eaten not only fried, but also raw. However, within the framework of this article, we will talk about the calorie content, composition, benefits, harms and use of heat-treated fruits in cooking.
Composition and calorie content of roasted chestnuts
Despite the fact that, as we mentioned above, chestnut is a nut, its calorie content is not high. This fruit is considered to be the only low-calorie nut.
Calorie content of roasted chestnut - 245 kcal per 100 g of product, of which:
- Proteins - 3.17 g;
- Fats - 2.2 g;
- Carbohydrates - 52.96 g;
- Dietary fiber - 5.1 g;
- Water - 40.48 g;
- Ash - 1.2 g.
- Potassium - 592 mg;
- Calcium - 29 mg;
- Magnesium - 33 mg;
- Sodium - 2 mg;
- Phosphorus - 107 mg.
- Iron - 0.91 mg;
- Manganese - 1.18 mg;
- Copper - 507 mcg;
- Selenium - 1.3 mcg;
- Zinc - 0.57 mg.
- Vitamin A, RE - 1 mcg;
- Beta carotene - 0.014 mg;
- Lutein + Zeaxanthin - 13 mcg;
- Vitamin B1 - 0.243 mg;
- Vitamin B2 - 0.175 mg;
- Vitamin B4 - 1.5 mg;
- Vitamin B5 - 0.554 mg;
- Vitamin B6 - 0.497 mg;
- Vitamin B9 - 70 mcg;
- Vitamin C - 26 mg;
- Vitamin E - 0.5 mg;
- Vitamin K - 7.8 mcg;
- Vitamin PP, NE - 1.342 mg.
- Arginine - 0.227 g;
- Valine - 0.178 g;
- Histidine - 0.088 g;
- Isoleucine - 0.125 g;
- Leucine - 0.188 g;
- Lysine - 0.188 g;
- Methionine - 0.075 g;
- Threonine - 0.113 g;
- Tryptophan - 0.035 g;
- Phenylalanine - 0.134 g.
- Omega-3 - 0.093 g;
- Omega-6 - 0.776 g;
- Saturated - 0.414 g;
- Monounsaturated - 0.759 g;
- Polyunsaturated - 0.869 g.
Useful properties of roasted chestnuts
So, as you can see, roasted chestnut has a rich composition of components useful for our body. At the same time, it is not as high in calories as other nuts, and therefore it can be safely introduced into the diet, so without danger to the figure, you will receive most of the elements necessary for the healthy functioning of the body.
In addition, the product is recommended for vegetarians, it contains a lot of vegetable protein, which can be an excellent alternative to an animal. However, the nutritional value of the product is not the only benefit that it brings to the body.
Let's look at the benefits of roasted chestnuts in detail:
- Beneficial effect on blood vessels. With regular use of the product, a significant improvement in the condition of blood vessels is observed, it strengthens even small capillaries and protects against various vascular diseases. Fruits are especially good at preventing the development of varicose veins.
- Normalization of blood cholesterol levels. The product cleanses the blood of excess cholesterol, as well as other toxins, thereby making an additional contribution to improving the condition of blood vessels and preventing thrombosis, which can cause acute heart failure.
- Condition improvement nervous system . Chestnut contains quite a few B vitamins, which are responsible for the normal functioning of the nervous system. Including the product contains vitamin B9 or folic acid - a vitamin prescribed to all pregnant women for a long time, as it helps the normal development of the nervous system in a child.
- Beneficial effect on bones and muscles. Phosphorus and calcium, which are part of the fruit, have a healing effect on bone tissue and muscle corset, strengthening them and promoting recovery. So for athletes who train hard, roasted chestnut is a great food.
- Increasing the body's immune forces. With regular use of fruits, the vitamin-mineral balance is restored, which helps to strengthen the immune system, increase the body's defenses.
- Normalization of the gastrointestinal tract. The fruits contain water and dietary fiber, which contribute to the normalization of the digestive process. In addition, chestnuts have a slight astringent effect, which helps to get rid of intestinal disorders such as diarrhea, colitis, etc.
- Stamina Boost. Another reason why roasted chestnuts can become a favorite snack of athletes is to increase the endurance of the body. The substances that make up the fruits relieve ailments caused by fatigue, give strength due to their high energy value.
Note! Only edible varieties of chestnuts can be eaten, as inedible ones contain tannins at a concentration dangerous to humans. But for the treatment of certain diseases, inedible ones are often even more effective.
Contraindications and harm of roasted chestnuts
However, even edible fruits have contraindications. There is a very thin line between the benefits and harms of roasted chestnuts. It is very important to understand that you should not abuse this product.
Unfortunately, often girls who are on a diet and learn that chestnut is a low-calorie nut begin to eat it in considerable quantities. However, a low-calorie nut does not equal a low-calorie product. Still it the energy value is almost 250 kilocalories, and therefore it should be consumed in healthy amounts.
Otherwise, for a healthy person, there are no contraindications for the use of fruits. But if you have certain health problems, it is advisable to consult a doctor before introducing the product into the diet.
Special care should be taken when eating it by people suffering from severe diseases of the digestive and cardiovascular systems, as well as blood. The product is completely prohibited for diabetics and for diseases that may be accompanied by bleeding.
Allergy sufferers, pregnant women, lactating women and children need to carefully monitor the reaction of the body when chestnut is introduced into the diet. With individual intolerance to the components of the product, one or another unpleasant symptomatology may be observed.
Let's repeat again! Inedible chestnuts should not be eaten by everyone!
How to cook roasted chestnuts
In our country, they are not sold on every corner, but if you travel around Europe, then you have probably seen street vendors with this delicacy. Of course they don't sell it. all year round, and during the ripening season, which varies depending on the region, for example, in Turkey they can be tasted as early as July, but in the Caucasus, the fruits ripen only by the end of October.
On the streets they are cooked on special braziers. However, if you have raw fruits in your hands, and you need to cook roasted chestnuts at home on your own, an ordinary frying pan will do just fine.
The recipe is quite simple, but let's break it down step by step:
- Notch the dark brown casing in a crisscross pattern on each side - if this is not done, they will start to "explode" during the heat treatment.
- Put the chestnuts in the pan so that they do not turn out dry, cover them with a damp cotton cloth or napkin from above.
- Close the pan with a lid and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and not forgetting to moisten the napkin with water if it is dry.
- A sign of readiness is a bursting shell.
Everyone describes the taste of roasted chestnuts in very different ways, someone says that it is not pronounced and is somewhat reminiscent of boiled potatoes, while someone catches distinct sweet and nutty notes.
Well, when you taste chestnuts, you can already pick up additives to your taste, which can be very different, starting with salt and vegetable oil and ending with chocolate icing. In Europe, they just love nuts in sweet sauces!
Roasted chestnut recipes
These fruits can also act as an ingredient in a particular dish. Soups are prepared with them, meat and poultry are baked, they are used as a side dish as a whole or pureed. Desserts are also prepared with chestnuts. In general, this is a very versatile product, and you can experiment with it in different ways, but it’s probably better to start with proven dishes.
Let's take a look at a few options for using roasted chestnuts in recipes:
- Chestnut soup. Boil in a saucepan any meat broth(500 ml), add chopped celery (1 stalk) to it. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add roasted chestnuts, bring the soup to a boil, then remove from heat, cool slightly and puree it with a blender. Heat the butter (1 tablespoon) in a frying pan and fry the flour (1 tablespoon) in it, add it to the soup. Bring it to a boil, add salt and pepper to taste. Finally, heat the cream (100 ml) and pour into the soup, bring to a boil again and remove from heat. Serve soup with croutons.
- Pork with figs. Cut pork (500 grams) into portions. Put in a marinade of dry white wine (250 ml), minced garlic (2 cloves), salt and pepper (to taste). The meat should be allowed to soak in the marinade overnight, if there is no time, at least an hour. Fry for vegetable oil finely chopped onion (1 piece), add meat to it along with marinade and any meat broth (250 ml). Close the lid and simmer for an hour. Add chestnuts (2 handfuls), chopped figs (4 pieces) and orange peel(from half an orange), simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Pumpkin with chestnuts. Pumpkin (700 grams), peel and remove the seeds, cut into cubes of about 2x2 centimeters. Finely chop the garlic (3 cloves) and coarsely chop the bacon strips (10-12 pieces). In a deep frying pan, heat the butter (50 grams), fry the bacon, add the pumpkin to it and simmer for 10 minutes. Add garlic, chestnuts (20-30 pieces), thyme (a couple of branches) and water (2 tablespoons), simmer for another 5 minutes.
- . Chestnuts (80 grams) mash with a fork or puree in a blender (you can add a little water if the blender does not take dry ones), add cocoa (1 tablespoon), sugar (3 tablespoons), vodka (2 tablespoons) and beat until creamy . Separately, whip heavy cream (150 ml), put them in the refrigerator. Also beat the whites (2 pieces) separately in a thick foam. Add the cold cream to the chestnuts first, then the egg whites. Mix thoroughly, transfer the dessert to bowls and refrigerate for 2 hours. Garnish with berries and fruit when serving.
- Seven chestnuts. Heat butter (150 grams) in a frying pan, put chestnuts (600 grams) and sprinkle with sugar to taste. Cook, stirring constantly, the fruits should caramelize. This is a traditional French way of cooking chestnuts, in this form they are served with fresh pear slices and ... fried sausages.
In Geneva, for 200 years, there has been a tradition to celebrate the onset of spring at the moment when the chestnut tree blooms near the cantonal government building. Most often this event happens in March, but in 2002 the tree blossomed on December 29th. But this is not the most paradoxical case. Things were most interesting in 2006: the chestnut blossomed twice - the first time in March, and then again in October.
While it is the only low-calorie nut in the world, it is also the only nut that contains vitamin C.
To many, chestnuts resemble the taste of potatoes, because the fruit contains a lot of starch. For the same reason, flour is made from it, from which various pastries can be prepared. In the 4th century BC, the Romans grew edible chestnuts only to bake bread from them.
The largest chestnut has an age of about 3000 years, and the circumference of its trunk is almost 60 cm. This tree is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
By nutritional properties the nut is very similar to rice, and therefore it was previously called "rice growing on trees."
About 40% of the fruits of edible varieties are eaten in China, in this country chestnuts are traditionally baked in hot sand.
On the island of Corsica, at Easter, chestnuts are lit in churches instead of Easter cakes and eggs.
Chestnuts explode if you cook them without making a cut in the shell, because there is moisture between the kernel and the shell, for the same reason corn explodes, turning into popcorn.
Glazed chestnuts - classic christmas dish in France.
Watch the video about roasted chestnuts:
This is an amazing product, the lowest calorie nut in the world. It is very useful and opens up wide possibilities in cooking. Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to buy it in our country. However, if you succeed, be sure to try roasting the chestnuts and eating them on their own or adding them to a dish. But first, be sure to check if this product is contraindicated for you. And, of course, in no case do not experiment with inedible chestnuts that grow in our country.
