Oven Roasted Chestnuts

Ingredients

  • Fresh chestnuts (look for firm, heavy nuts with shiny shells
  • A bowl of hot water

Instructions:

  • Score the chestnuts. If you don’t score them, steam builds up inside and they can explode in the oven.
    • Lay a damp kitchen towel flat on your cutting board.
    • Place the chestnut flat-side down on the towel. The round side should be facing up.
    • Use a serrated bread knife as this groups the smooth shell better than a smooth paring knife.
    • Saw gently across the belly of the nut to create a horizontal slit or a large “X”
    • You want to cut through the hard outer shell and the fuzzy skin underneath, but try not to cut deep into the yellow nut meat itself. Make the cut white so they’re easier to peel and eat later.
  • Clean soak – this is an optional step but recommended. Wash the chestnuts. Soak them in a bowl of very hot tap water for 15 min before roasting.
  • Preheat fan-forced oven to 200oC.
  • Drain the chestnuts and pat them dry. Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer, cut side facing up.
  • Roast in oven for 15 min if small-medium sized and 20-25 min if they’re large chestnuts. They’re done if the shells have curled back significantly where you have scored them. The nut meat should look golden and feel tender.
  • Remove nuts from the oven and tip them into a clean, dry kitchen towel. Bundle it up tight like a bag. Let sit for 10-15 min.

Peel and enjoy them while they are still warm, If they cool down the skin acts like superglue again. If this happens, microwave for 10 seconds to warm them back up.

Storage
  • They’ll keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge. Peel them before you store them.
    • Don’t eat them cold. Microwave with a few drops of water and zap for 15 seconds or toss them in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until warm.