Chestnuts

We've all heard of roasting chestnuts on an open fire but how many of you have actually tried them out?

Chef Jason Hill shares some information about chestnuts and how to roast them. Chestnuts are in season September through February here in the U.S. and are grown on trees throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia.

When choosing fresh chestnuts, look for nice plump specimens that are free of bruising with nice shiny brown shells.

But how to roast chestnuts? I simply grab a sharp paring knife and mark an X on the flattest side of each chestnut. We do this so the nuts won't explode when they are heated.

Next, fill a large bowl with cool water and soak the nuts about 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 F or get your fireplace nice and roaring. Drain the nuts and scatter on a baking sheet, X side up. Roast for about 12-18 minutes, or until the peels curl up a bit and the nuts are soft.

For chestnuts roasting on an open fire, place in a long-handled frying pan (nonstick isn't recommended), a popcorn popper or chestnut roaster. Some folks recommend covering the pan. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the peels curl up and the nuts are soft.

We hope you enjoy this fun holiday tradition. Chestnut uses are plentiful, ranging from salted alone or dipped in sour cream, placed into turkey stuffing or candied. Enjoy!

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Chestnuts
• chestnut
• uses
• roasting
• how to roast
• roast
• roasted
• recipe
• chef tip
• holiday
• turkey
• stuffing
• recipes
• cooking

[br81fan]

the music in made by Kevin MacLeod..but what is the name of the song? i like it very much but i can´t find it :(((

[ChefTips]

@br81fan It's in his Christmas collection. Think it's the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies.

[br81fan]

@ChefTips thanks! i found it :)

[ChefTips]

@br81fan Great!

[TF0olery]

When my chestnuts were done, they were soggy and had the texture (and almost the taste) of a baked potato. I couldn't peel them very easily because the squishy meat would just peel up with the skin.

The tutorial I followed said to soak them for an hour,

What am I doing wrong here? Did I soak them too long? Not let them dry enough? :(

[ChefTips]

@TF0olery They definitely have the texture and flavor of a baked potato. Sometimes they are difficult to peel.. Hope you have better luck next time!

[imilious]

At 20 seconds, those are buckeyes not chestnuts. Buckeyes are poisonous, and are sometimes called horse chestnuts.

[hasan7196]

"Nothing worse than nuts popping off on your face!"

haha... its only funny because u typed it...

[santajimi]

ZOMG, I WANNA SEE EXPLODING CHESTNUTS! RIGHT NOW! o.O

[ChefTips]

@kathyinmiami Fun story! Glad you enjoyed them.

[kathyinmiami]

Just finished decorating the tree and roasting the chestnuts. They were perfect. All peeled easily. Not sure if it was due to following the directions or being crazy enough to bring a bunch back from the spice market in Istanbul. They looked so good we couldn't resist. Will try again next week with the ones I can get at our local store.

[ChefTips]

@XCritonX Sounds nice. I'll have to try them with anise.