Roasting is the best way to enjoy chestnuts, but we’ll stick to the oven rather than an open fire. It sounds fun, but not everyone has access to open flame like that and it only adds unnecessary extra work. For those who haven’t tried roasted chestnut and only know of the dish from the popular Christmas song, you’ll be surprised to find that they have a delicate sweet flavor with the texture of baked sweet potato. Plus, they often make a good meat substitute in recipes and are great for keeping things vegan.
No ingredients except for however many chestnuts you desire are needed for this recipe, so just gather your chestnuts and follow the steps below. To feed four, grab about half of a pound.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Instructions
- Gather your chestnuts and preheat oven to 425 F.
- Using a sharp paring knife or chef's knife, make an X-shaped cut on the round side of each chestnut. This critical step keeps them from exploding from internal pressure when heated and makes peeling easier after roasting.
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Arrange chestnuts on a baking rack or a baking sheet.
- Transfer the chestnuts to the oven and roast them until the skins have pulled back from the cuts and the nutmeats have softened. The actual time required will depend on the chestnuts but will be at least 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the nuts from the oven and pile them into a mound in an old towel. Wrap them up, squeeze hard—the chestnuts should crackle—and let them sit for a few minutes.
- Pull and snap off the dark shells to reveal the yellowish white chestnuts. While peeling, make sure to also remove the papery skin between the shell and the chestnut.
- Serve and enjoy!