Roasted Chestnuts

Roasted chestnuts are a winter must

Roasted chestnuts are a winter delight. Castagne as sweet chestnuts are known in Italian are very popular especially in the mountain forest regions. The castagna (chestnut) is a very useful fruit as it can be roasted, boiled, grilled or ground to make sweet chestnut flour. Boiled chestnuts are totally different in flavour to the roasted ones. Roasted chestnuts is something that everyone should try every winter. The ideal place for roasting chestnuts is in the embers of an open fire. The next best place is on top of a cast iron stove. If neither of these options is available then use an electric/gas oven or grill.

Serves: 6

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Oven Setting: Preheat to 200C (400F) or Gas Mark 6

Ingredients:

500 grams sweet chestnuts
baking tray

Roasting chestnuts in the oven:

Method:

1. To ensure the best flavoured roasted chestnuts, always use the Italian variety.

2. Cut every sweet chestnut in one corner as illustrated. This will stop the chestnut from exploding when cooking.

3. Preheat the oven to the required temperature.

4. Place the chestnuts onto the baking tray and cook on the middle shelf of the oven until the shell is dark brown to black and the flesh is golden brown in colour and a the chestnuts give off a wonderful aroma. Should take about 30 minutes in total. Turn the chestnuts over halfway through cooking. Mind your fingers when doing so.

5. Remove from oven.

6. Allow to cool slightly so that they can be handled safely.

7. Whilst still warm, peel off the outer shell and inner skin.

Roasting chestnuts under the grill:

Method:

1. Set the grill to the highest temperature.

2. Cut the chestnut shells to ensure that they will not explode during the cooking process.

3. Place the chestnuts onto the grill pan.

4. Grill on a high heat for about 20 minutes, turning the chestnuts over so that they can evenly cook. They are done when the flesh is a golden colour and the shell is dark brown or black and the chestnuts are giving off a wonderful aroma.

5. Remove from heat and allow to slightly cool.

6. Remove the outer shells and inner skins.

7. The roasted chestnuts are now ready to eat.

Tip:

1. You must not forget to cut the chestnuts before cooking otherwise they will explode and make an awful mess of your oven! Even one exploding chestnut is enough to make a mess of your oven.

2. Always be careful when turning over the chestnuts. Do not have the baking tray at eye level in case one of the chestnuts explodes in your face!

To discover more about Italian food visit the Italian Traditional Food webpage