Roasted chestnuts
- enjoy a fall tradition
submitted by Tom Salsberg
1. When selecting chestnuts, pick the ones that are full, dark and shiny.
Avoid ones that are dull on the outside and shriveled inside. Following this direction will help reduce the likelihood of your having mold on your chestnuts.
2. Slit chestnuts with one long slit from top to bottom, using a strong, straight edge knife.
3. Set oven to "broil" and pre-heat it to 425 F. Broiling, rather than baking, gives them more of a fire-roasted flavour.
4. Place the chestnuts on a metal baking pan and put it into the oven for about 20 minutes, gently stirring or shaking them up midway so that they roast more evenly.
Notes: Your goal should be to bring the chestnuts to the point where the inside is completely soft, but the surface of the nutmeat is slightly browned to a golden brown and has a bit of crispness.
Eating the chestnuts: Serve with the shell attached and let people peel it and the fuzzy skin off themselves by sticking their fingers into the slit and pulling away the shell from the nutmeat. If any parts appear very black, that probably was mold and is now charred and not dangerous. Just cut or tear away the black part and enjoy the good parts.