Chestnuts: An Adventure in Roasting
My family can tell you that I’m a sucker for holiday tunes: Frosty the Snowman, Silver Bells, Jingle Bells, you name it. So, I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that in all my 28 years, I’ve never once roasted chestnuts while listening to Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. When Mary, one of our Produce Buyers, alerted me to the fact that we had organic chestnuts in stock ordered directly from a small family farm in IA called J&B Chestnut Farm, I knew this was my chance. So I bought some and gave roasting a whirl.
Now, if you’re like me and have never worked with chestnuts before, there are a few helpful tips that you should be aware of before getting started. First, chestnuts have a high moisture content, so it’s absolutely essential that you pierce the shell by cutting a slash or an ‘X’ in it before roasting, otherwise the chestnuts may explode in your oven. I found that cutting a slash across the broad face was easier than cutting an ‘X’, but to each their own. I also found that using a serrated bread knife was more effective at cutting into the shell than just a regular knife. Try to not cut into the chestnut meat too far.
Second, when you are ready to roast the chestnuts, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and place chestnuts on a baking sheet. Be sure to sprinkle the chestnuts generously with water before placing in the oven – this will help keep them from drying out. Roast them for 15-20 minutes and then remove from the oven.
Chestnuts ready to be peeled
Third, wait for the chestnuts to cool just enough for you to handle them without burning yourself. You want them to be warm when you are peeling them, since it becomes infinitely more difficult to peel them when they are cool. Some chestnut peels will be more difficult to get off than others and the shells can be a bit sharp, so please be careful.
Once peeled, you can enjoy out of hand, or you can use them in a recipe. Two recipes for freshly roasted chestnuts are below. I’ve only tried the first one, but I am intrigued by using chestnuts in a soup, so I’m looking forward to trying that one next!
Cajun Chesnuts (recipe below)
Cajun Chestnuts
This recipe is influenced by the southeastern US and has a bit of a kick.
Ingredients:
1 ½ lb fresh chestnuts
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp butter
¼ tsp salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
¼ tsp chili powder
Roast and peel the chestnuts. Mince the garlic and sauté in butter for a minute in a heavy large skillet. Add the chestnuts and spices to incorporate, and then spread in a shallow pan and roast at 300 degrees F until a bit crispy (15-20 minutes). Enjoy as a snack!
Chestnut Vegetable Stew
Ingredients:
1 lb fresh chestnuts
1 onion
2 Tbsp butter
2 large cabbage leaves
2 carrots
1 turnip
2 potatoes
2 stalks celery, with green tops
3 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
Roast and peel the chestnuts. Chop the onion and sauté in butter in the bottom of a soup pot. Chop the vegetables and add to the onion. Add the chestnuts and the chicken stock. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add the parsley just before serving and add salt and pepper to taste.
*These chestnuts from J&B Chestnut Farm are the Castanea mollissima variety, which are slightly different in taste and size from the European or wild American varieties.
Interested in finding more delicious recipes? Check out our recipe files!