Stewed chicken with dried chestnuts

When I was staying in Beijing I was able to buy ready peeled fresh chestnuts to cook this dish and the taste of the chestnuts was definitely nicer than the dried ones. My grandma always add chestnuts into bah chang and I remember removing it because I didn’t like the taste. Now that it is so expensive I have started to enjoy eating it. In fact, chestnuts roasted over a charcoal fire are absolutely delicious.

Chestnuts (栗子) are shiny brown nuts whose thick casing has long, sharp, needle-like spikes (burrs). The texture of a chestnut is similar to that of a potato, slightly crunchy when raw and softer when cooked. They have a mild and slightly sweet flavor which makes them perfect for both savory and sweet dishes. Unlike other nuts, chestnuts have a high starch and water content but low protein and fat levels. They are high in vitamin C, minerals, such as potassium, copper and magnesium, amino acids and antioxidants. According to TCM, chestnuts have warming properties which tonifies kidney Qi and strengthen the lower part of the body such as the back, knees, ankles and their tendons. Chestnuts are beneficial for toddlers who are very late and weaker in learning to walk as they help to strengthen the legs. Chestnuts contain high levels of essential fatty acids, including linoleic acid, which are beneficial to cardiovascular health and proper neurological development in infants. The Chinese use dried chestnuts ground into flour to add to wheat and rice flours when making dumpling skins and other sheets used as wrappings. Apparently, eating 3 cooked chestnuts will stop hunger pangs. However, TCM practitioners warn that too many chestnuts can cause indigestion and some people may be allergic to chestnuts.

Ingredients

½ chicken cut into pieces

1 piece ginger
15 dried chestnuts

Roasted garlic

Star anise

Cloves

Cinnamon bark

Soak the chestnuts overnight

Use a toothpick to remove any skin stuck in the grooves

Marinade
1 tsp dark soya sauce

1 tsp oyster soya sauce

½ tsp sugar

Put the marinade ingredients onto the chicken and mix thoroughly

Heat the sesame oil and fry the aromatics

Add the ginger slices and chicken and stir fry until colour changes

Put some water into the bowl used to marinate the chicken

Add the water and chestnuts.

Cover and simmer on low fire until chicken is cooked