Accessories for chestnuts

Breadfruit

We are now in the new season. The summer has just left the place to autumn with all its innovations and its delicacies.
If you have recently toured the woods, you will have already spotted some curly, still green. But chestnuts are coming. And if you love this year it is time to acquire the right tools to prepare some tasty snacks, without much effort.

In the past it was also called the tree of bread, today chestnut and chestnut, have gradually assumed a marginal role remains confined to secondary roles, as tempting snack or as an accompaniment to autumn flavors that mountain. To rediscover the old flavor, cooking without big effort, it is time to adopt to provide pots, pans and cut chestnuts. This is what it takes.

If you are fond of chestnuts, you know that there are several ways to consume. Cooked can be boiled, but roasted, a widespread practice in the lower Mediterranean extends to Portugal and Turkey. It is from this tradition derives their synonymous, the term Caldarroste, as they are commonly referred to as the chestnuts sold by hawkers on the street.

Eat chestnuts

Castratura chestnuts

Because the consumption is optimal, chestnuts, if not purchased directly from the supermarket, after harvesting, must be left in a cool dry place, making sure that they have defects or strange inhabitants.

At the time of cooking, each chestnut must undergo a small process: the castratura, namely a longitudinal cut on the convex side of the fruit. This small system helps prevent the chestnuts explode during cooking, subject to strong heat.

Although it can be used a simple boxcutter, there is marketing a particular tool, which performs fast with this function: it is the carve chestnuts . During the climax you may have noticed even in the supermarket in designated areas: it is a kind of crushing chestnut , with a small central blade, which, thanks to the movable handle makes it possible to create a small opening in the chestnut subjected to crushing.

At this point, the obtained castratura, the chestnuts are ready for baking. Methods to make them are various roast. Can be mounted in high heat directly in the pan, or cooked in the vicinity of a fire, also using the classic fireplace at home.

Pans for ooking chestnuts

To cook chestnut in a pan, there is a specific tool: the pan of chestnut. This is characterized by a perforated bottom and a long handle that allows you to move the chestnuts during the cooking process, without burning.

In the market there are various types. For example, the company Pentalux proposes two variants: one with a wooden handle, the other of steel, each with 2 different diameters.
There are also solutions doubles, with long handle and perforated area, to be placed directly on the fireplace and that for the remainder of the year, once cleaned, can become real decorations. Often Made of wrought iron, especially in the case of mountain, they also become the attractive containers for plants, throughout the year.

In addition to the solutions of living fire, there are pots chestnuts alternatives. One of these is the electric pot for chestnuts. Cook chestnuts As the electric Stockli, distributed by the trademark of Brunico Schonhuber , specializing in accessories for the kitchen and home.

The cook chestnuts, sold about 95 euro on Percucina, it is actually a practical electric cooker, characterized by the presence of a perforated basket, with a lid. All accessories are easily removable and washable, as well as ensuring the cooking without smoke.

Serve the chestnuts at the table

Finally some quick advice to serve the chestnuts once cooked. If you are going to organize dinners with friends autumn, chestnuts can be an interesting and curious usual end of the meal.
Once roasted in a pan or on the heat, cover the chestnuts with a towel and then place them before taking them to the table in small containers. There are various solutions, simple but effective.

For example, using the classic newspaper, to roll cone, where one keeps chestnuts, without even peeling them. Certainly spectacular, becomes even more if you use a foreign newspaper.

Or, if kept warm, once peeled, you can always opt for the paper to be fried rustic or classic brown paper bags, rolled margins, slightly closed with string and accompanied by a small label with the name of the content.

Remember to put on the table a container for roasted skins and wet wipes to clean your hands when finished. The chestnuts dye definitely black!