Easy Roasted Chestnuts
Roasting chestnuts in the oven is an easy way to enjoy this seasonal nut without a lot of effort.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chestnuts
- water (for soaking)
- 1 tablespoon melted butter (optional)
- salt (optional; to taste)
Instructions
- Place the chestnuts, with their flat side down, on a cutting board. Carefully score an "X" in the shell of each chestnut. I like to use cut-resistant gloves and a chestnut knife for this step (see notes below).
- Transfer the scored chestnuts to a bowl of water. Let them soak for 24 hours.
- When ready to roast, preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the chestnuts from the water and place them on the baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until the shells are peeling back.
- Remove from oven and place the hot chestnuts in a kitchen towel. Twist the towel and wrap them tightly to allow the chestnuts to steam in the towel for 5-10 minutes. Then press the towel gently to help loosen the shells from the chestnut meat.
- After the chestnuts have steamed in the towel, but while they are still warm, peel the shell from the meat. Discard the shell pieces.
- Enjoy the chestnuts while warm, either plain or tossed with melted butter and sprinkled with salt (my preferred way to enjoy them!).
Notes
- Make sure the chestnuts you're using are fresh. If they are soft when pressed, make a rattling sound when shaken, or float when placed in water, then they should not be used.
- You can use more or less than a pound of chestnuts, and the process and baking time will remain the same.
- Because chestnuts can be quite slippery, I recommend using cut-resistant gloves. A chestnut knife is also quite useful for making the X cuts in the shells. I've used serrated knives in the past, but the chestnut knife makes it less tedious.
- I have tried multiple methods of soaking chestnuts, including using boiling water, soaking for short periods of time, etc. I've personally had the best results when I've soaked the chestnuts for 24 hours, so that's what I recommend. However, if you're short on time, try to at least soak them for 10-12 hours (or overnight).
- The roasted chestnut meat should have a consistency similar to a baked potato--not too hard but not too mushy.
- I enjoy these best with some melted butter and a sprinkling of sea salt, but you can also eat them plain if preferred.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 247kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 25mgPotassium: 550mgSugar: 0.003gVitamin A: 117IUVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
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