How to Roast Chestnuts in the Oven
As a child I was refusing to eat roasted chestnuts. Somehow they were too dry for my taste, and something was bothering me. On the other side I like the smell of hot chestnuts in the cold winter days, and the cracking sound they were making while roasting.
Many years later, together with Darko, I bought roasted chestnuts from a street vendor. Somehow they tasted so amazing. Ever since then I was trying to find the right recipe and learn how to roast chestnuts in the oven.
I won’t lie to you, most of our attempts were fail. But the main problem was that we haven’t been preparing them properly. Either they were too dry, or over roasted, or we couldn’t remove their shell.
On my recent visit to my parents, I saw large beautiful chestnuts in the store and I wanted to buy them. But I was afraid to ruin them, those were the largest chestnuts I’ve ever seen.
Then I asked my mother if she knows how to roast them, she said “Don’t be silly of course I know how roast them”. The secret was in the boiling. That was the step we never took. I couldn’t believe that almost all of them started to open after just a couple of minutes of boiling (see photo below).
After boiling is done then the roasting can take place. That’s something we didn’t know. We couldn’t believe that all of them were open. Also putting them in a clean towel is important step too, they have to sit at least 10 minutes that will help later with removing the shell.
If you like chestnuts you’ll be amazed with this recipe. It’s perfect for vegan, great source of antioxidants and Vitamin C.
Let us know if you like this Roasted Chestnuts recipe. Also make sure to check some of our other winter recipes. Here are our top 3 you won’t regret trying: No Bake Almond Mini Cups, Vegan Chocolate Dipped Christmas Cookies, and Homemade Almond Cranberry Granola Recipe.
Prep time: 20 min Cook time: 20 min Total: 40 min Servings: 3-4
INGREDIENTS
- 17 oz (500 g) Chestnuts (or as many as you like)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- In a large baking dish line a parchment paper. Set aside.
- Wash the chestnuts first. Lay all the chestnuts flat on your cutting board and using a sharp (serrated if you have one) knife and make lengthwise slit down the entire middle surface, on the long side. You’ll have to hold the chestnut firmly their outer shell is very slippery – be careful not to cut yourself.
- When done, place all the chestnuts into a large pot with a cold water. Bring to boil. We prefer coking them 2 more minutes after the boiling. Then using a slotted spoon, transfer the chestnuts to the baking dish making sure the flat side is down. (check photos above)
- Let them roast in the oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and wrap them in a clean towel allowing it to sit at least 10 minutes. They taste the best when they are warm, so serve immediately.
- Enjoy your Roasted Chestnuts!
