Boiled Chestnuts: Recipe for Cooking and Timing to Make Them Sweet or Savory…
Boiled chestnuts are a tasty autumn fruit that can be made into a variety of dishes, both sweet and savory. One of the most popular preparations is boiled chestnuts. With proper cooking in the pot, boiled chestnuts become easy to peel and husk. The basic recipe for boiled chestnuts allows them to be enjoyed in a variety of ways: they can be enjoyed whole, sautéed with a sweet rum syrup, or dressed with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for a savory version.
Ingredients :
For boiling chestnuts:
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs) whole chestnuts, unpeeled
- 3 L (3.2 quarts) cold water
For sweet boiled chestnuts:
- 1 cinnamon stick or vanilla pod
- For savory boiled chestnuts:
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 pinch of salt
How to make Boiled Chestnuts:
Preparation:
- To make boiled chestnuts first wash them thoroughly, then pour them into a bowl and let them soak 2 hours. Then we pour them into a high-sided pot with plenty of cold water. We add the ingredients chosen according to the recipe to be made with boiled chestnuts: we add cinnamon stick to make sweet boiled chestnuts, while we add bay leaves and salt to make savory ones.
1 kg Chestnuts with skin on, 3 L Cold water, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 Bay leaves, 1 pinch of Salt - Let the ingredients boil in a pot with a lid for at least 40 minutes, then test with the tines of a fork to see if they are cooked; the time can be extended by 5 minutes if the fork fails to pierce the chestnuts. Continue and every 5-10 minutes check the cooking with the fork, the time to cook the chestnuts varies depending on the size.
- When the chestnuts are cooked just right let’s drain them and quickly pour them on a dish towel, with a knife cut the base of each chestnut so to peel we will make little effort, even the skin comes off with the knife, be careful not to crumble the chestnuts if you want to serve them whole. Boiled chestnuts are ready to serve!
Bon Appétit!
