Christmas is considered the festival of love – and, as we all know, the way to the heart is through the stomach. Thanks to Advent, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, December is the most wonderful time of the year for many people. The magical month is not only characterized by glittering lights, mulled wine and Christmas trees, but also by good food.
When you think of the delicious food of the Advent season, warm chestnuts from the Christmas market may come to mind. Chestnuts, also known as sweet chestnuts, are in season in the fall and winter and are literally on everyone’s lips, especially in December. They are not only tasty, but also rich in nutrients. They provide us with fiber, vitamins C and B6 as well as various minerals such as magnesium, iron and potassium. Chestnuts can be prepared in many different ways, such as roasted, boiled or steamed. However, the most popular ways to eat them are raw or cooked.
If the thought of chestnuts makes your mouth water like ours, then we have a regional, seasonal and hearty recipe for you that you can easily prepare:
Chicken ragout with chestnuts and bread dumplings
We hope you enjoy preparing them!
Chicken ragout with chestnuts and bread dumplings
Ingredients for the chicken ragout
- 500g chicken meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 200g peeled chestnuts (fresh or pre-cooked)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 200ml chicken stock
- 200ml cream
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- White wine to deglaze
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley to garnish
How it works
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and chop the onion, garlic, carrots and celery stalks.
- Take a large pan and heat the olive oil and butter. Fry the meat in batches until golden brown. Then remove the chicken pieces from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, fry the chopped onion with the carrots, garlic cloves and celery stalks until they are soft and lightly browned.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir well to form a roux.
- Deglaze the mixture with white wine and reduce briefly.
- Now add the meat, chicken stock and cream to the pan and add the chestnuts.
- Bring the ragout to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes. It is ready when the chicken is tender, the vegetables are soft and the sauce has thickened.
- To finish, sprinkle salt and pepper over the dish to taste and garnish with parsley.
Ingredients for the bread dumplings
- 6 stale bread rolls
- 250ml milk
- 3 eggs
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- salt, pepper
- vegetable stock
- butter for frying
Preparation
- Cut the bread rolls into small pieces and place in a large bowl.
- Finely chop the onions and fry in a little butter until they are translucent. Set aside and mix with the bread cubes as soon as they have cooled.
- Heat the milk until just before it boils, pour over the breadcrumbs and leave to soak for about 10 minutes.
- Separately, whisk the eggs with salt and pepper and add to the bread cubes. Mix the mixture well until you have a dough that is not too firm.
- With wet hands, form dumplings about the size of a tennis ball and simmer in boiling vegetable stock for about 20 minutes until they rise to the top.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
The dish is suitable both as a festive meal at Christmas and as hearty fare on a cozy Sunday afternoon. There are no limits to what you can enjoy here.
We wish you a good appetite!