Chestnuts remain a fall and winter traditional favorite.
A traditional fall and winter food, roasted chestnuts show up frequently in recipes for Thanksgiving stuffing, snack foods or dessert dishes. Chestnuts are generally easy to cook with and incorporate into various dishes once you get them out of their tough outer shell and skin. Pounding roasted chestnuts with a hammer may seem like the most satisfying solution, but doesn't really yield the best results.
Instructions
1. Carve an "X" into the side of each shell with a paring knife before roasting the chestnuts. This trick prevents the nuts from exploding in the oven and also gives you a good starting point to peel them from.
2. Soak the chestnuts in warm water for one hour to soften their shells. Drain them, towel them off and place them in a single layer in the roasting pan.
3. Roast the chestnuts in a preheated 425-degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The chestnuts are done when the shells have opened at the "X" mark and the inner nuts are golden brown. The nuts will also be slightly tender when cooked properly.
4. Remove the pan using oven mitts, and pour the nuts into a metal or wooden bowl.
5. Using a kitchen towel to prevent burning your hand, pull a hot nut from the bowl and peel it with a paring knife, starting at the "X" spot where the shell has already been broken. Chestnuts peel more readily when they are still warm.
Tags: fall winter, paring knife, roasted chestnuts, with paring, with paring knife