Pan Roasted Chestnuts Recipes

ROASTED CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Cut a 1/2 inch crisscross on the flat side of each nut. Be sure to cut through the shell to prevent the nut from exploding.
• Place the nuts in a shallow baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Allow to cool and peel off the shell.
• Place nuts in a skillet with butter and saute over high heat until the butter is melted and the chestnuts are well coated. Place skillet in oven and roast until they are golden on top. Sprinkle with salt and cinnamon.

CAST IRON PAN-ROASTED CHESTNUTS ON A STOVETOP

Steps:

• Score your chestnuts. See pictures and instructions further up in article.
• Turn temperature on stove burner to medium heat (5 on our stove). Place all ingredients in pan with lid on.
• Cook covered for 10 minutes, shaking pan every minute, so nuts cook evenly and don't cook to much on one spot. The water also helps ensure even heating by steaming/boiling them and preventing them from drying out too much.
• At the end of the initial 10 minutes cooking with the lid on, the water will boil out/evaporate, and the inside of your pan will start getting a bit smoky. The nut shells will start to get a bit charred which creates the slight smoke, replicating the smoky flavor of an open fire! Shake the pan constantly at this point to keep things from getting too smoky or setting off your indoor fire alarms.
• Uncover pan. Stir nuts and/or shake pan constantly while uncovered on heating element for 2 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat, and place lid back on pan. Let nuts cool for 5 minutes with lid on. The nuts will continue to slowly cook as they cool down as long as the lid stays on. The lid also helps trap some of the moisture.
• After 5 minutes, remove lid and let the chestnuts cool down to eating temperature. You can even serve them in the cast iron skillet you cooked them in for a unique presentation.
• Another alternative is to let the nuts cool down, then remove them from their shells before serving. However, in our opinion that's not quite as authentic to the original roasted chestnuts of yore, which were served shells-on. Plus, serving the chestnuts shells-on makes for a more involved dining experience by forcing those eating them to slow down and talk, rather than wolfing them down.

CHESTNUTS ROASTED ON AN OPEN FIRE

Steps:

• Take a cheap old frying pan, and using a hammer and large nail, or drill bit, make about 10 holes in the bottom.
• Put an X in the skin of each chestnut. Heat pan over flame. Add chestnuts and using a spray bottle, spray with water.
• Return to flame, shake pan slowly and constantly for about 15 min., occasionally spritzing with more water. (will require more yuletide songs).
• Place chestnuts into large metal bowl, sprinkle with salt, and toss. Place chestnuts into 8 small brown bags, sprinkle a dash more salt into bag, and serve. (or sell em on the street corner for a nickel like they did in the ol' days)!

ROASTED CHESTNUTS OVEN OR STOVE TOP

Steps:

• Toss chestnuts with oil.
• In a dry pan over low heat heat pan till hot, then add chestnuts cover and stir every few minutes for 15 minutes.
• Add water and continue to roast, covered and stirring until water is evaporated and chestnuts are tender about 5 minutes.
• Serve hot with salt.
• Or Oven method:.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Roast unseasoned chestnuts for 20 to 30 minutes or until chestnuts are tender, easy to peel, golden brown in color, and the shells are beginning to open. For even roasting, gently stir to turn them over after about 10 minutes. The sliced part of the shells will curl back.
• Remove the nuts from the oven, make a mound of them in an old towel, wrap them up, squeeze them hard -- they should crackle -- and let them sit for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile open a bottle of vino, pour yourself a glass, Peel nuts when they are cool enough to handle, and serve with salt if desired. Because hot chestnuts peel easier than cold ones.
• Enjoy!

ROASTED CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• Make a large X in each chestnut with chestnut knife or a sharp paring knife, cutting through shell. Toss chestnuts with oil in a bowl.
• Heat dry skillet over moderately low heat until hot, then roast chestnuts in skillet on stovetop, covered, stirring every few minutes, for 15 minutes total.
• Add water and continue to roast, covered, stirring occasionally, until water is evaporated and chestnuts are tender, about 5 minutes more. Serve hot.

PAN-ROASTED CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• For a dozen or more guests-a typical Sunday gathering for us-I use my 14-inch skillet, to prepare 3 to 4 pounds of chestnuts. Use a smaller pan if you wish, but don't cook more chestnuts than will fit in the skillet in a single layer.
• With a sharp paring knife, cut a short slit-an inch or less-in the shell of each nut. (You can cut anywhere, but the flat side of the shell is easiest, or the chestnuts explode.) Put them all in the skillet, pour in 1/2 cup or so of water, cover the pan tightly, and set it over high heat.
• Let the water boil away, steaming the chestnuts until the shells have started to peel open at the slits, usually in 3 to 4 minutes. Check the pan before the water evaporates completely: if the shells are still closed tightly, add a bit more water and continue steaming until they begin to open.
• Turn down the heat to low, and let the chestnuts roast, still covered, in the dry pan, for about 15 minutes. But don't go away and get lost in after-dinner conversation! You must shake the covered pan every minute or two: hold down the cover, and give the skillet handle a few strong jerks to roll all the chestnuts around. This is essential for even cooking and to prevent burning. Continue to roast until the shells are toasted and the nut meat is tender-peel one to taste and check. Serve hot.