How to Roast Chestnuts Without an Open Fire

If you’ve lived somewhere that counted vendors roasting chestnuts on street corners among its holiday traditions, then you’re already familiar with their comforting aroma. But if your roasted chestnut experience is limited to the Nat King Cole song, you’re in for a treat. (And no, the slimy ones you can buy in pouches in the grocery store don’t count, nor do water chestnuts.) Fortunately, you do not need access to an open fire in order to roast chestnuts. Here’s how to do it at home, in your very own oven.

How to roast chestnuts in an oven

Chestnuts are seasonal, and are more commonly found in grocery stores between October and December, so now’s the time to get them. If you’ve never gone chestnut shopping before and don’t know what to look for, Lena Abraham from Delish has some advice:

Good chestnuts should have taut, shiny skin, and should feel very hard. If the skin is wrinkled and the nut feels soft or has shrunken in the shell (you can tell by shaking it) then it’s no good.

Abraham’s recipe involves one pound of chestnuts which, once roasted, last two to three days if refrigerated. Here’s what to do:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (about 218°C). Lay chestnut flat side down on a cutting board and use a serrated knife to cut an “x” about 1/3 of the way through the chestnut. Repeat until all chestnuts are scored.
2. Place chestnuts flat side down on a small baking sheet. Pour 2 cups cold water into another small rimmed baking sheet. Place chestnuts on top shelf of oven and baking sheet with water on the bottom shelf, directly below the chestnuts.
3. Bake until skin peels away from chestnut, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chestnuts from oven and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let cool 5 minutes before peeling.

Then, it’s up to you to decide what to do with the nuts. Some people like using them in other foods, like soup, stews and stuffings. But others (me) prefer to enjoy roasted chestnuts straight out of the oven, peeled, then tossed in butter and salt. Abraham recommends trying other flavour combinations, like rosemary and salt, or nutmeg and sugar.

[referenced id=”837492″ url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2018/05/you-should-be-freezing-your-nuts/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/05/22/e0kspy0phjugpxobnncx-300×169.jpg” title=”You Should Be Freezing Your Nuts” excerpt=”You think you love nuts, but you have never loved a nut the way you love a frozen nut.”]