Chestnuts Roasting Over an Open Fire

A cozy chair in front of an open fire, a good book and some chestnuts roasting in the embers. Sound inviting? Yes, even to many of us living in this mild climate.

Shipments of Italian chestnuts start arriving in Southland markets each year just as the holiday season gets into full swing. A small quantity of American chestnuts is also available. A blight in the early 1900s wiped out our country’s 3.5 million chestnut trees, and only recently have enough American chestnut trees--a species resistant to the disease--matured for domestic chestnuts to be harvested commercially.

When purchasing chestnuts, select those that are shiny, firm and heavy for their size. They are quite perishable, but can be stored a few days in the refrigerator. Cover loosely or place the nuts in a ventilated plastic or paper bag.

Although chestnuts may be consumed raw, most people prefer them roasted for out-of-hand eating, or blanched or boiled for use in recipes. Cooking also makes the nuts easier to peel.

Several years ago, Peter Kopke, whose company in Lake Success, N.Y., imports fresh chestnuts, shared the following directions for peeling the nuts. It’s the easiest way we’ve tried.

Cut an “X” on the flat side of the nut (Step 1) through the woody outer shell, but not into the meat. Next make a cut completely around the outer rim of the nut (Step 2) between the flat and curved side. These incisions release internal pressure and prevent the nuts from exploding during the cooking process.

Cook the nuts by one of the following methods. After cooling enough to handle, remove both the outer shell (Step 3) and the inner dark brown skin. Note: The salt called for in the oven roasting, blanching and boiling directions facilitates removing the bitter inner skin.

Open Fire Roasting: Place the prepared chestnuts directly in the embers and roast 20 minutes. Rake the nuts from the coals and allow to stand until cool enough to handle.

Long-handled chestnut pans with perforated bottoms may also be used for roasting the nuts. Cover the bottom of the pan with the prepared chestnuts; hold it over low to moderate heat and shake occasionally to prevent the nuts from burning. Chestnut pans are available at shops specializing in fireplace equipment.

Oven Roasting: Spread the prepared chestnuts in an even layer in a shallow roasting pan. Add a small amount of water and sprinkle liberally with salt. Roast at 400 degrees 20 to 30 minutes, turning frequently. Allow to stand until cool enough to handle.

Blanching: Cover the prepared chestnuts with cold water. Add one to two teaspoons salt per pound of nuts. Bring to a boil, then boil one minute. Drain and allow the nuts to stand until cool enough to handle.

Boiling: Follow directions for blanching, but increase cooking time to 20 minutes or until the nuts are thoroughly cooked.

Blanched chestnuts are used in recipes where further cooking is required, such as stuffings or when the nuts are combined with vegetables such as Brussels sprouts. The blanched and shelled nuts may be frozen whole or chopped in tightly closed containers until needed.

To avoid peeling large amounts of the nuts, canned whole chestnuts packed in water may be substituted in recipes. Frozen, peeled chestnuts are also available at some specialty food markets this time of year.