Getting to know chestnuts
Chestnuts are small fruits protected by a shell that look just like chestnuts.
But if the first are delicious, the second are toxic.
So to differentiate brown from chestnut, you have to observe their bug.
If it is pungent, it is the edible fondant fruit.
To discover
Recipes, tips, chef's secrets... Download the Le Figaro Cuisine app
Read alsoDon't confuse brown and chestnut anymore
But before cooking the chestnuts, they must be prepared.
For them to have the sweetest taste, it is necessary to remove the two skins that cover the tender part.
The reddish film that protects the heart is called "tan" because of the tannins it contains.
It can impart a bitter flavor to the fruit.
Where to incise chestnuts?
As soon as they are picked, it is advisable to incise the chestnuts by making a cross with a small paring knife on the most rounded part of the fruit.
It is the most tender place which is also often the clearest.
The gas they contain will then be released and this will prevent the fruit from exploding during cooking.
How to easily remove the skin from chestnuts?
Then, you can remove the two skins in one step thanks to a very simple trick: place the chestnuts in the freezer for a few minutes before plunging them into a pan of boiling water for 5 minutes.
This thermal shock softens the chestnuts and detaches the envelopes.
The fruits can be taken out little by little and peeled easily from the incision.
Chestnuts: what is the best cooking?
The most traditional method is cooking over a wood fire.
For this, it is necessary to be equipped with a stove with holes and a gas stove, a fireplace or a stove.
The incised chestnuts should be placed in a single layer in the pan for 25 minutes and stirred regularly.
This cooking will give them a very pleasant grilled aroma.
Baking is also possible.
Simply place the fruit in it on a non-stick dish for 25 minutes at 210 degrees and peel it while still hot.
Cook the chestnuts in water, gentle cooking
To obtain more tender and neutral-tasting fruits, perfect for making a chestnut velouté with coffee, for example, boiling is ideal.
For this, you can immerse the fruit in a pot of boiling water which can be flavored with star anise, fennel seeds or fig leaves.
After 15 minutes of cooking, it is time to drain them before grilling them for one to two minutes in a very hot pan.
This method opens the incision more widely.
For an even easier and faster recipe, you can put a dozen incised fruits in the microwave at 600 watts for one minute.
They should then be peeled immediately when they come out of the oven, because the second skin sticks when the fruit cools.
How to peel chestnuts to freeze them?
It is quite possible to keep your chestnuts raw to eat them later.
So that they keep all their qualities and their freshness, it is advisable to remove the first skin (the hardest part) and to freeze them immediately.
They should then be boiled in water so that the second skin is easily peeled off.
To be roasted later, raw chestnuts can be simply incised and then frozen.
They can then be put in the pan, it will only take a little longer to cook.
Once cooked, these fruits can be frozen like any fruit.
