It's time to enjoy chestnuts, which are an essential part of the winter months and equally beneficial for health. The place for delicious chestnut recipes is also ready in the kitchen.
Chestnut Börek
(6 - 8 Servings)
Ingredients:
- 2 sheets of ready-made filo pastry
- 2 cups of cooked chestnuts
- 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 1 cup of walnut kernels
For the syrup:
- 2 cups of water
- 2 cups of granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
For serving:
- 2 tablespoons of molasses
Instructions:
- For the syrup: Combine the water and sugar in a pot, stir, and bring to a boil. After 15 minutes, remove from heat and add the vegetable oil. Let it cool.
- For the filling: Cook the chestnuts and crumble them into a bowl. Add the walnut kernels and mix well.
- Place a sheet of filo pastry on the counter. Brush the cooled syrup over the filo pastry using a brush.
- Spread the chestnut and walnut mixture over the pastry. Roll the pastry into a tight log shape, but not too tight.
- Cut the rolled pastry into 4 cm wide pieces.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the prepared böreks in the tray, leaving space between them.
- Brush the tops of the böreks with vegetable oil and bake at 180°C for 25 minutes.
- Serve the baked böreks with molasses.
Chestnut Soup
(4 Servings)
Ingredients:
- 1 kg chestnuts
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 5 cups water or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 garlic clove (finely chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 pack of cream (optional)
Instructions:
- Prepare the chestnuts: Make a small incision in each chestnut and roast them in the oven. After roasting, wrap the chestnuts in a cloth and wait until they cool down. Once cooled, peel off the shells. Set aside 6 chestnuts and chop the rest finely.
- In a pot, melt the butter. Add the chopped onion and sauté until softened.
- Add the chopped chestnuts to the pot and stir for a few moments. Then, add the vinegar and garlic, cooking for another minute.
- Pour in the water or chicken stock and simmer until the chestnuts are tender.
- Once the chestnuts are soft, use a blender to purée the soup until smooth.
- Add the cream (if using) and sprinkle in the cinnamon. Let the soup simmer for a little longer to combine the flavors.
- Remove from heat and divide the soup into serving bowls.
- Garnish with the reserved chestnuts and a sprig of rosemary before serving.
Chestnut Kebab
(4 Servings)
Ingredients:
500 g chestnuts
Instructions:
- Wash the chestnuts thoroughly under water and soak them in a bowl of water for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Using a sharp knife, make deep cuts on the top of each chestnut.
- Place the chestnuts on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Remember to stir the chestnuts occasionally while they are baking.
Chestnut Stuffed Rice
(6 Servings)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups baldo rice
- 200 g chestnuts
- 2 cups water
- 2 onions
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons currants
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Instructions:
- Soak the rice in hot salted water for 30 minutes. Afterward, rinse it thoroughly under cold water and drain it.
- Peel the chestnuts and boil them in water until tender.
- In a pot, heat the olive oil. Dice the onions and sauté them in the olive oil until soft.
- Add the rice to the pot and stir-fry for a few minutes.
- Add the chestnuts, pine nuts, and currants to the rice.
- Pour in the water, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and cook on low for 15-20 minutes until the rice is tender.
- Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve the rice warm.
Chestnut Mousse
(6 Servings)
Ingredients:
- 120 g dark chocolate
- 1 cup chestnut jam or cooked chestnuts
- 400 ml cream
- 1 packet vanilla sugar
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 180 g cream cheese (Labneh)
Instructions:
- Place the chocolate in a bowl and melt it using the double boiler method.
- Meanwhile, blend the chestnut jam (or cooked chestnuts) in a food processor. You can add a small amount of milk to achieve a smoother consistency.
- In another bowl, whip the cream, cream cheese (Labneh), vanilla sugar, and powdered sugar together until smooth.
- Once the chocolate has melted, add the chestnut mixture to the melted chocolate and stir to combine.
- Gently fold the chocolate and chestnut mixture into the whipped cream mixture using a spatula, stirring from the bottom up until the mixture becomes smooth and homogeneous.
- Divide the mousse into serving cups and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
