A nibble of Christmas! Chestnuts, onion, garlic and winter spices packed into bite-sized balls and coated with crispy cornmeal. Simple appetizer fit for santas stop off snack.
Ingredients
Chestnut Bites
2 cups Chestnuts, roasted (I used pre-cooked Chestnuts)
¼ cup hazelnuts
1 large onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup rice flour
¾ cup non-dairy milk
½ tbsp. dried sage
½ tsp salt & pepper
Cornmeal Coating
¼ cup fine cornmeal
¼ cup cornflour
¼ cup non-dairy milk
olive oil for frying
Instructions
Add your hazelnuts and chestnuts to a food processor and blitz until a fine, crumbly texture. You may have to scrape down the sides once or twice.
In a large frying pan, add 1 tbsp. olive oil over med-high and fry onions until just turning brown.
Add the garlic, stir and fry for 30 seconds.
Add the rice flour and coat the garlic and onion with the flour. Then pour in your non-dairy milk. Stir to combine and let thicken - remove from heat.
Stir in the sage, salt, pepper and the chestnut & hazelnut meal. Once combined, spread the mixture out on a tray to cool down so you can handle.
In the meanwhile, place the non-dairy milk in one bowl, cornflour in another and the cornmeal in another.
Roll your cooled chestnut mixture into balls and roll in cornflour, then non-dairy milk then into the cornmeal. Repeat for each ball.
Once they are all coated, heat a few inches of oil in a frying pan for a shallow fry on med-high heat. To test if it is ready drop a small piece of bread into the oil and it should sizzle and rise.
In batches, place the balls into the oil and cook for about 3-4 minutes, then roll and continue to fry - you want an even golden brown coating on the outside of the balls*
Transfer to a kitchen towel to remove excess oil and serve hot or cold with cranberry sauce
Notes
* Some cornmeal will come off of the balls while frying - this is normal. Don't try and remove from the oil.
Recipe by The Hungry Herbivores at https://www.thehungryherbivores.com/festive-chestnut-bites/