Saint Martin's Day Portuguese Fried Chestnuts

Here at home, we’ve made chestnuts in just about every way imaginable 😀 Well, almost every way, apparently we can also fry them, so there’s nothing like giving it a try! I can tell you the result is pretty darn good. The chestnuts turn out tender and super easy to peel, and they become slightly sweeter because they absorb a bit of the oil.

To tell you the truth, I was a bit skeptical about this method at first, but it turned out to be quite good! I still absolutely love oven roasted chestnuts, but this fried version is a nice alternative that gives a new and interesting dimension to the chestnuts. It didn’t take any work at all to make, and they came out incredibly tasty. I especially recommend this if you enjoy fried foods or if, like me, you wanted to mix things up a bit with how you cook chestnuts this year ;D This is of course also a perfect recipe for Saint Martin’s Day celebrations! Let’s get to the recipe then!

Saint Martin's Day Portuguese Fried Chestnuts

Servings: 12
Time: 20mins
Difficulty: Easy
Rating: ★★★★
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How about trying something diferent with chestnuts, frying them does make them have a more crispy and yummy outside, its like a slightly diferent treat hehehe.

Ingredients

Chestnuts – 200g
Sunflower Oil – As Needed
Butter – To Taste
Fennel – To Taste
Salt – To Taste

Directions

For this recipe, you can use as many chestnuts as you like. In this case, I used about 200g, but feel free to use as many as you like, just make them in batches.

Wash the chestnuts and make a cut in each one. Open the cut slightly with a knife (this will make it easier to see when the chestnuts are golden brown and will also help them fry more easily). Dry all the chestnuts with a kitchen towel.
Heat the oil over medium/high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chestnuts. In my case, I used half of the chestnuts; you don’t want to fill the pan with too many chestnuts.

Fry for about 10 to 11 minutes. You will see when the chestnut pulp starts to turn from white to yellowish/golden, then they are ready. Pour them into a dish with plenty of paper towels or in alternative a drying rack.
Now you can peel the chestnuts or serve them with the skin on. Whether fried or roasted, the skin comes off easily from most chestnuts. Serve them seasoned with a pinch of coarse salt, fennel and or butter. Bon appétit!

Notes: Make sure your oil is properly heated before adding the chestnuts. If it’s not hot enough, they’ll absorb too much oil and become greasy. Also if you are doing a lot of chestnuts, better to fry in batches, too many chestnuts in the pan will lower the oil temperature and result in uneven cooking.

That initial cut not only prevents the chestnuts from exploding but also serves as a window to check doneness. You’ll see the flesh change color from white to golden.

These are fantastic with just coarse salt, but try them with a sprinkle of fennel seeds for that traditional Portuguese touch, or a dab of butter for extra richness.

These are best enjoyed immediately while warm, but if you have leftovers, you can reheat them briefly in a dry pan to crisp them up again.

This recipe for Saint Martin’s Day Portuguese Fried Chestnuts was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Castanhas Fritas foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.