Cooking chestnuts, not roasting them, is one of the easiest things you can do if you consider cooking chestnuts and the result is delicious. I fondly remember how at home, as a child, at dessert time on autumn Sundays they brought two trays to the table: one with chestnuts roasted on the fire, and the other with cooked chestnuts. The truth is that it was difficult to decide which ones were richer. They all always disappeared!

You can prepare cooked chestnuts simply using a saucepan or a small pot, as they take up little space and in a moment the water will begin to boil. Or you can make them even faster in the slow cooker . It is undoubtedly an excellent option to gain even more time.

Cooking chestnuts has very few secrets, as it is simple and quick to cook . But I leave you an easy step by step and some tricks and ideas so that they stay on point. And delicious!

If you haven't cooked chestnuts you should. I think you will be surprised by the result: they are tender and tasty, with their characteristic chestnut flavor. If you cook them right, which costs very little, they are super quick to peel and are a great way to enjoy fall and recharge your batteries.

Ingredients

  • Chestnuts (quantity to each one's choice)
  • a tablespoon of salt
  • Anise (optional, although it is a popular addition)
  • A bay leaf (optional)

Preparation (in a conventional pot and in a quick cooker)

  1. Clean the chestnuts, passing them through water in a strainer.
  2. Give them a deep cut*. It is not necessary to make a cross, it can simply be a transversal cut, but it is necessary to cut the skin of the chestnut so that the water can penetrate.
  3. If you cook the chestnuts in the traditional way: Put water in a saucepan or a medium-sized pot, in sufficient quantity to cover the chestnuts that you want to overcook. Put the water to heat and, when it is hot, add a tablespoon of salt and half a teaspoon of aniseed (also, if you want, the bay leaf). Add the chestnuts and let them cook for 35-40 minutes over low heat (just enough to keep the boil when it has already started to boil). After that time, remove from heat and strain the water.
If you cook the chestnuts in a pressure cooker: put water in the pressure cooker (which can exceed the height that the chestnuts will occupy by a couple of centimeters), turn on the heat and, when the water begins to be hot, add a tablespoon of salt and half a teaspoon of anise (and the bay leaf, optionally). Close the pressure cooker and put it on medium heat, until the two pressure rings come out. Keep on the fire 7-8 minutes and stop the fire. Wait for it to lose pressure on its own and, when you can open it, open the pot and strain the chestnuts.
4. Wait a few minutes, until they have lost heat, and you can peel them with the help of a knife, or serve on the table when they are still a little hot, at dessert time, and each diner peels the ones they are going to eat, as it has always been done.

Recipe to cook chestnuts

Grades

  • Choose chestnuts well: ideally they should be hard and shiny brown.
  • That they are all of a similar size, to ensure even cooking.
  • *Without a doubt, to make those cuts in the chestnuts, there is no better knife than Opinel's special knife for garlic and chestnuts -its curved and sharp point and the shape of the blade, short, allows you to take the chestnut in such a way that you can exercise those cuts with great dexterity.
  • The cooking time will vary a few minutes depending on whether the chestnuts are larger or smaller.
  • When peeling the chestnuts it is important to remove both the outer shell and the inner layer of skin, the bitter ones.
  • Once cooked and peeled, try them also dipped in a sugar glaze... Or they will be a guaranteed success if you serve them at coffee time dipped in chocolate fondant! A bite of chestnut and chocolate is an ideal accompaniment to close any family gathering.
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Comments

Teresa said:

Hola!! El anís es en especia o licor? Gracias.

Cestadefruta.es said:

Que ricas por favor, con anís están súper buenas

Claudia said:

Hola Montse,

Los 7-8 minutos son a contar a partir de que los anillos de presión ya han subido. Siendo así, recuerda siempre haber bajado el fuego cuando los anillos han subido -cuando la presión en la olla ya es alta, solo debes MANTENER esa presión, y para ello es conveniente abajar el fuego, simplemente para que se mantengan allí, pero nunca con el fuego al máximo cuando la presión ya ha alcanzado su punto óptimo.
Cualquier duda, escríbenos a tienda@claudiaandjulia.com. Gracias!

montse said:

les castanyes fetes amb olla a pressió, no tinc clar si els 7-8 minuts són sense abaixar el foc o és a màxima potència.

Claudia said:

Qué alegría Mireia, me alegro mucho!! La verdad es que sí están ricas, mucho, un vicio para toda la family! Saludos, Claudia

Mireia said:

¡Pero qué ricas! No las había probado nunca así, y la verdad es que estoy como dices tú, ya no sé si las prefiero asadas o cocidas! Muchas gracias por la receta :)

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