Ingredients
1 kg Chestnuts
1.5 kg sugar
1.5 l water
1 vanilla pod
Method
Incise the chestnuts in the widest direction with a sharp knife or cutter so as to notch the two skins but not the flesh of the fruit, passing through the pointed part and the lighter part at the base of the chestnuts.
Plunge them into a bowl of cold water. After 5 minutes take 10 chestnuts, place them in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil for 2 to 3 minutes, at this time the skins almost detach themselves.
Peel the chestnuts and repeat the operation until exhausted. This is the most difficult part because chestnuts tend to break and you get burnt, but courage is worth it.
Place the chestnuts in a pan of cold water and bring to a low boil for 15 minutes (the chestnuts must be cooked but not too much, otherwise they will purée).
At the end of cooking, throw the chestnuts into a bowl of very cold water to firm them up.
In a pressure cooker preferably, put the water and sugar. Put on medium heat, when the sugar has become transparent increase the heat.
As soon as the syrup boils, add the vanilla bean split in two. Let it boil for 3 minutes and plunge the chestnuts into the basket of the casserole dish, this will protect them from shocks.
Allow to boil again and leave to simmer for 1 min. Turn off the heat and leave to cool as is for 24 hours.
The next day, drain the chestnuts and bring the syrup to the boil for 3 to 4 minutes, then plunge the basket of chestnuts and leave to simmer for 3 minutes. Repeat the operation on the third and fourth day.
Finally, remove the cooled chestnuts and place them on baking paper in the open air to dry.