Holiday Roasted Chestnuts- With Easy to Peel Skins

Serves 2.

I’ve spent a lot of time over the years in New York City since I have family that lives close by. One of the treasures that I remember during the holidays is to buy steaming warm chestnuts from the street vendors on mitten-handed cold afternoons. They were always warm and perfectly cooked and you get a nice brown paper bag filled with steaming sweet holiday treats!

However, over the years I’ve tried to make them at home and follow the instructions by doing the traditional crisscross slice each on of them and roasting them at 425°F. However, they never quite came out as well as the New York City vendors which had more of like a steaming process, so I found the perfect home recipe. The trick is to make one simple slice that breaks through the skin on either side and then boil them first about 10 minutes, this softens the skin that pre-cooks them prior to roasting so you won’t get the fibrous hairy, barky skin sticking to the chestnut.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Chestnuts
• 4 T. Olive oil and/or Vegan Butter
• 1/2 t. salt/ to taste

Directions:

1. Fill a small sauce pan with water and bring to a boil.
2. With a small pairing knife, make a diagonal slice through the skin on either side of each chestnut.
3. Boil the chestnuts covered for about 10 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
5. Drain chestnuts and lay on a cookie sheet and mix in in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil or butter.
6. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes the check for done-ness after 15.
7. The chestnuts should expand and the skin slightly opens.
8. The chestnuts are ready when you can squeeze the skin and they pop out easily and smoothly and have turned slightly golden yellow color and inside is not too dry, not raw and not too chalky.
9. Add the final tablespoon of oil or butter in a little bit of salt to taste stir, let cool for 3-5 mins.
10. Squeeze them on either side of the Chestnut to pop right out- ready to eat, perfectly cooked!

Roasted Chestnuts with Easy to Peel Skins

I've spent a lot of time over the years in New York City since I have family that lives close by. One of the treasures that I remember during the holidays is to buy steaming warm chestnuts from the street vendors on mitten-handed cold afternoons. They were always warm and perfectly cooked and you get a nice brown paper bag filled with steaming sweet holiday treats!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Chestnuts
• 4 T. Olive oil and or Vegan Butter
• 1/2 t. salt/ to taste

Instructions

 

• Fill a small sauce pan with water and bring to a boil.
• With a small pairing knife, make a diagonal slice through the skin on either side of each chestnut.
• Boil the chestnuts covered for about 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Drain chestnuts and lay on a cookie sheet and mix in in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil or butter.
• Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes the check for done-ness after 15.
• The chestnuts should expand and the skin slightly opens.
• The chestnuts are ready when you can squeeze the skin and they pop out easily and smoothly and have turned slightly golden yellow color and inside is not too dry, not raw and not too chalky.
• Add the final tablespoon of oil or butter in a little bit of salt to taste stir, let cool for 3-5 mins.
• Squeeze them on either side of the Chestnut to pop right out- ready to eat, perfectly cooked!