Ok, here it goes. Chestnuts are still a staple in some parts of the world, and one of my favorite memories from home when I was growing up. First, when you buy them, pick chestnuts that large, hard and heavy. Those are less likely to be moldy. Also make sure there are no tiny holes in them. Don't let them sit around for days before using them, but if you must, store them at room temperature, in a paper bag. If they are too hard for you roasted, try them boiled, 30 min in medium low heat should do it, but if roasting, they have to roast for the time specified (I prefer 450 degree oven for 30 min), any less and they will be raw!!! Boiled chestnuts work better in stuffings and other dishes. Rasted chestnuts can be too hard. Like others said, the chestnuts have to be peeled when they are still hot. Keep them wrapped in a towel and peel them one at the time. Chestnuts that peel well when cold are stale/old, and therefore not at the peak of their flavor. To peel boiled chestnuts easily, make sure to work in sections and quickly so that the inner skin does not dry up. Still, sometimes it can be a pain, but I love the taste and it is well worth it for me. This recipe is interesting, but I really prefer them plain. They have their own unique taste, why mess with a good thing? If you never had chestnuts before try them plain first. Hope this enhances your enjoyment of chestnuts :)
I loved these. The butter/cinnamon/salt combination was fantastic. I did one thing a little differently. After baking, instead of frying them in the skillet and putting it in the oven, I put them in a baking dish and tossed with melted butter and then broiled on high until they were lightly browned. I think I'm going to try making pumpkin seeds tonight with the same seasoning.
On a whim we bought chestnuts for the "season". We soaked them (an idea from another website) to make the shells a little softer. Then we scored them with a Dremmel tool...a "must". We cooked them for the 25 minutes. We put them in a brown paper bag to keep the humidity in (another website suggestion) and then prepared according to the recipe. We tried small plates with different combinations...1. salt and cinnamon (two thumbs down) 2. sugar and cinnamon (two thumbs way down...too plain) 3. sugar salt and cinnamon (yuck) 4. cinnamon and honey (something wrong there too) 5. cinnamon honey and salt (yuck) 6. lots of garlic salt (too garlicky...yuck) and 7. a hint of garlic salt (probably the best...but can only eat a little of it and then it is too much). We also tried them plain and noticed they did have a little flavor...we just don't know what that flavor would be best in...probably a side ingredient rather than the main ingredient. I guess we would have starved to death 1000 years ago when it was a staple but luckily we have a refrigerator. I think I would try a soup or stuffing next time...IF there is a next time.
I've never had chestnuts before but this recipe was easy and tasty. It was however very rich. I used only 2 T. butter and that was plenty. These would be a good snack/appetizer to place out for company during the holidays.
Pretty good. The easiest way to handle chestnuts is to cut a horizontal slit on the flat side. Soak them in salt water for 30-60 minutes. Cook them like the recipe says and when they are still warm squeeze the shell on the top and bottom of the slit. The shell will break in half easily and the nut should slide right out.
Great recipe. I peel the hot chestnuts with my heavy garden gloves on and the task goes pretty quickly.
Great recipe. My daughter suggested I drizzle some honey on top when it came out of the oven. Delicious with the salt cinammon and honey combination.
Very good and much easier since I found frozen chestnuts at my local store. The nuts still had shells but were already sliced and only took about 6 minutes to heat (from frozen) and were very easy to peel. What a difference from years ago when I did the cross-cut and then boiled the nuts and then cooled and peeled them for stuffings etc.
This was ok. I think it needs a differnt spice rather than cinnamon. As far as people complaining about their fingers hurting. Take the nut out of the shell right when it comes out of the oven. Don't wait for them to cool down. It was a breeze taking the nuts out this way. My husband thought this was very dull tasting but I thought it was OK. I will try differnt flavors next time.
