Roasting Chestnuts

You don’t need an open fire to roast chestnuts – your oven or microwave will do just fine...

Using a sharp knife, score the nuts with an X. Soak them in cool water for about 15 minutes. Pop them in a 400 degree oven for another 15 minutes until the shells start to roll back. Try peeling them while they’re still warm – it’s a little harder once they’re cool. To microwave chestnuts – just cut them in half and place them face down in a shallow dish of water – and cook for about a minute.

If you’d rather attempt the open fire method – score and soak the chestnuts first to prevent exploding – then roast them over your open fire using a pan with a really long handle or your fireplace shovel.

Source: Chef Jason Hill, Chef Tips