The Best Way to Roast Chestnuts Over a Fire
Chestnuts are in season from October to March. Because they peak in December, they've become a wintertime treat and a staple in holiday cooking. Everyone has heard the old holiday standard "Chestnuts roasting on a open fire..." but how many have actually roasted them? It isn't that difficult and once you've mastered the art of roasting chestnuts over an open fire, you'll eagerly be awaiting chestnut season and taking full advantage of the six months when the chestnuts are ripe and readily available. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Chestnuts
- 2 dishtowels
- Sharp knife
- Fireplace chestnut roaster or popcorn popper
- Oven mitt and/or hot pad
- Baking sheet or large plate
Instructions
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Start a fire in your fireplace or in a fire pit outdoors. Get it going well enough to create hot embers in the center. Enough heat should rise out of the top of the fire so that you won't have to put the nuts directly in the flames.
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2
Rinse the chestnuts under tepid running water.
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3
Lay the chestnuts on one towel and pat them dry with the other towel.
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4
Cut an "X" shape into the shell of each chestnut. This can be done on the end or on the flat side of the shell. Cut deep enough to cut through the shell to the nut inside.
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Place the chestnuts in the roasting pan and secure the lid.
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Hold the roasting pan over the fire and shake it occasionally so that the nuts roast evenly. If your roaster has holes in both sides, turn the roaster over sporadically in addition to shaking it. Allow the nuts to roast for approximately 20 minutes.
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Remove the roaster from over the fire when the chestnuts are done. Set the roaster on a rock, a hot pad or other non-flammable surface.
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Lift the lid from the roaster using an oven mitt or hot pad to protect yourself from the hot surface.
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Turn the nuts out onto a baking sheet or large plate and allow them to cool only long enough so that they can be handled. Roasted chestnuts are easier to shell when they are still warm.
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Shell the chestnuts by prying the shells from the nuts starting at the "X" that you cut prior to roasting them. Serve them warm.
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Tips & Warnings
Take care when cutting the shells of the nuts before roasting. You'll need a very sharp knife in order to effectively cut through the shells but because the shells are so hard, the knife can easily slip.
You can test one of the chestnuts after 15 minutes of roasting to see if it is done. Just take one out of the roaster to test it. The meat of the nut inside should be soft and yellow in color and will smell sweet. Be careful when testing the chestnuts as the pan and the nuts will be extremely hot.
Roasted chestnuts can be served plain or sprinkled with salt or cinnamon sugar. It's fun and delicious to experiment with different toppings or even dried herbs.
References
Resources
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