Few delicacies are more autumnal than roasted chestnutsa gastronomic treasure that is replicated in practically all corners of Spain and that, sometimes, out of fear, we do not dare to emulate at home because we think that it is a complicated recipe.
It is obviously not complex, because we hardly need chestnuts and salt, as chef Dani García demonstrates on his Instagram account where He barely needed 20 minutes to make roasted chestnuts worthy of the best position.
The Marbella chef, whom we once knew because of his three Michelin stars, is now also a successful businessman with restaurants such as Bibo, Lobito de Mar, Leña, Smoked Room and countless other openings such as Babette, Alelí or Tragabuches, both in Spain like out of it. Nevertheless, always manages to have time to cook at home.
For this reason, the Malaga chef has not missed the opportunity to make roasted chestnuts, demystifying the complexity of the recipe and demonstrating that in 20 minutes they can be had at home without complications.
In addition, he insists from his Instagram account that it does not matter if we have some chestnuts that are somewhat drier or somewhat greener, although it is best that they are at the right point of ripeness so that the result is perfect. In addition, as you will see below, the cut and salt that we use also matters a lot.
To do this, the first thing Dani García does is cut all the chestnuts that are going to roast, make an incision with a knife halfway up the chestnut (starting at the tip) and when it reaches that half, slightly bend the knife. Similar to when we crack some potatoes, which allows García to see that the chestnut does not have worms and thus allows it to cook more evenly.
With all the chestnuts open, the chef from Malaga recommends “putting all the chestnuts in a covered pan on a medium-high heat scale so that they cook.” Does not add salt or water Rather, he lets the chestnuts cook in their own water for about five minutes at a temperature that, when inducing, “is between six and seven out of 10 points.”
After that time, Garcia raises the temperature a little more and for another five minutes brings the induction to seven. Basically, the Marbella chef recommends “let the chestnuts sweat” and if this does not happen because they are too dry, he advises adding a pinch of water, barely soaking your fingers and swabbing it over the chestnuts.
It is also in those ten minutes when he adds salt, but he insists on “add salt flakes or a maldon salt“, discarding the option of fine salt and coarse salt. In addition, this is how the water continues to evaporate slightly. For five more minutes he keeps the chestnuts there, until approximately 15 or 16, when the key moment arrives: the roast.
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Here raise the heat (eight or eight and a half over 10 on induction) and let the chestnuts cook for another five minutes. First with the lid on for the first three minutes and then uncovered to really roast. After that time, the chestnuts are ready to go to the table without any complications.
Images | Freepik / Instagram Dani Garcia
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