When Jack Frost is nipping at your nose, there’s nothing better than gathering around the hearth and roasting nuts – chestnuts, that is – over an open fire.
Step 1: Choose a utensil that has a long handle such as a frying pan.
Step 2: Clean dirt off of chestnuts.
Step 3: Cut an X into the shell of each chestnut with a pairing knife to avoid a buildup of steam inside the nuts.
Step 4: Place chestnuts in pan and cover.
Step 5: Roast over the coals of an open hearth for 15 to 25 minutes or until the chestnuts are tender and the shells are beginning to open.
Step 6: Peel chestnuts when they are cool enough to handle and serve with salt, if desired.
T IPS & WARNINGS
- – Use dry, firm chestnuts, because soft chestnuts may be rotted
- – Don’t use a nonstick pan; these can’t tolerate direct heat
- – Be sure to remove the inner skins from the chestnuts as well as the shells
- – Chestnuts that have not been cut or pricked to allow steam to escape may explode even after being removed from the heat
