How do you roast a chestnut?

[Bill]

I picked some Italian chestnuts up at the store. Never ate one before. Directions said cut an X in the flat side and bake at 400 for 20 mins.

Ended up with a mushy pasty texture. I've got them back in for some more roasting. My thought is roasting should dry the nut so it's brittle. Am I off base?

 

[gwm]

I'm of no help but the dang song is now in my head.

 

[Bill]

I'm of no help but the dang song is now in my head.

Ha. Maybe I need an open fire.

 

[Merle Hawggard]

I'll ask my grandmaw again, but I seem to remember she told me they cooked them in a pan, sure it was cast iron, with butter. She has told me before how she roasted them over the fireplace before the blight got to Mississippi, but it's been a while. Said they had American chestnuts and hickory nuts through the winter.

 

[Native Hunter]

Ha. Maybe I need an open fire.

I think that is one ingredient for sure. But I think you need Jack Frost and Eskimos too.:D

 

[Tree Spud]

Ha. Maybe I need an open fire.

I think adding a good single malt scotch or two is the key ... and if you remember to actually throw the chesnuts in the oven all the better :)

 

[Bill]

Im waiting for grandmaw. Something tells me it will be the best method.

 

[H20fwler]

I just slice them on the round side and spread them on a cookie sheet flat side down for 10-15 minutes in the over 350-400f. You can also sear them in a skillet.
Peel off the husk when they cool and the "skin" layer..they are awesome! Nothing like the taste, I love them.

 

[Bill]

I just slice them on the round side and spread them on a cookie sheet flat side down for 10-15 minutes in the over 350-400f. You can also sear them in a skillet.
Peel off the husk when they cool and the "skin" layer..they are awesome! Nothing like the taste, I love them.

Question. When your done cooking them are the supposed to be soft in the middle? I only tried a few and the middle was mushy. Didn't taste bad but not the texture I was expecting.

 

[H20fwler]

No, not mushy. More like a peanut or cashew cooked in Chinese food. I would say the texture is definitely firm but very easy to bite through.

 

[Bill]

No, not mushy. More like a peanut or cashew cooked in Chinese food. I would say the texture is definitely firm but very easy to bite through.

I must have a bad batch. Before I asked, I sliced a few and baked at 400 for 20 mins. They were doughy in the center so I put them back for another 20 mins, still doughy. I knew something didn't seem right even though I've never eaten one.

 

[H20fwler]

It doesn't take very long to cook them at all, forty minutes cook time does seem like a bad batch of nuts.

 

[JackTerp]

I can't remember who told me this, but it seems that Italian chestnuts are not really the same thing as the chestnuts we are familiar with. That's been a long time ago and I may be mistaken.

 

[Merle Hawggard]

How to roast a chestnut 1930's Mississippi style!
Use a Dutch oven or other deep style cast iron pan and leave the lid off.
In this put one pound or so of fresh chestnuts with a good tablespoon of lard.
Add salt to your taste and roast over a slow to medium fire, stirring all the while for 40 minutes to an hour depending on the heat and number of chestnuts.
You could use butter or canola oil I'm sure, but that's how my grandmaw told me they did it as a kid.
It brought back a lot of memories for her too of how during the winter they would roast those and snack on the bushel of shaggy bark hickory nuts my great grandfather would pick up in the fall each year.
I enjoyed hearing her stories again. Good luck with your chestnut roast!

 

[Bill]

Thanks!

 

[ncstewart]

How to roast a chestnut 1930's Mississippi style!
Use a Dutch oven or other deep style cast iron pan and leave the lid off.
In this put one pound or so of fresh chestnuts with a good tablespoon of lard.
Add salt to your taste and roast over a slow to medium fire, stirring all the while for 40 minutes to an hour depending on the heat and number of chestnuts.
You could use butter or canola oil I'm sure, but that's how my grandmaw told me they did it as a kid.
It brought back a lot of memories for her too of how during the winter they would roast those and snack on the bushel of shaggy bark hickory nuts my great grandfather would pick up in the fall each year.
I enjoyed hearing her stories again. Good luck with your chestnut roast!

Maybe I'm a little slow but is this peeled or not?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Merle Hawggard]

I think she did after the roast. She didn't say anything about cutting a score in the nuts first, but I can check.
It may not hurt to experiment with the time as well.
She's in her 90's and this was in her early childhood. I bet when you're a kid wanting chestnuts plus you have to stir them time moves slow.

 

[Bill]

If she doesn't remember I do! And I've never done it. Moisture inside a hard shell being heated produces steam. Steam trapped produces an explosion.

Affordable Microwaves were kinda new when I was in college. My room mate decided to bake a potato and not poke any holes in it. True story......the micro wave door landed a few feet away after the explosion. :)

 

[Native Hunter]

Bill, I ran upon this today and thought of you:

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/...-an-open-fire-plus-chestnut-roaster-giveaway/

 

[Bill]

Bill, I ran upon this today and thought of you:

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/...-an-open-fire-plus-chestnut-roaster-giveaway/

Don't know if I had to but I gave them the float test and tossed the floaters. What's left is in the fridge. I thought about planting them. :D