Pan-Roasted Chestnuts are an easy and quick method. So festive and delicious, chestnuts are a perfect treat for the holiday season!
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Hello everyone! I hope you are doing well. And I certainly hope you are ready for the weekend (Oh yeahhh, I was ready on Monday at around 8am ha-ha.) As I mentioned in my previous post Rosé Wine Cranberry Sauce, I’ve officially opened the holiday season. To be more accurate, I am talking about the holiday season on this blog.
Who loves chestnuts, please raise your hand(s)?! I do love them. Aren’t they a treat that is associated with something cozy and warming… like Christmas! I have many chestnut recipes on this blog – hopefully everyone can find something to their taste.
Chestnut Christmas Recipes
Porcini Mushroom Chestnut Soup
Pan-Roasted Chestnuts
I never thought of cooking chestnuts in a pan until recently. I wondered if this would work. So, I quickly googled, and it turned out a pan-roasting method is quite common. Have you ever tried?
It is super easy and mostly mimics the method roasting in the oven. Minus the oven, obviously. Basically, you need to score chestnuts, soak them, then cook covered with some water, and finally finish cooking uncovered. They will be ready in 20 minutes or so. Cast iron pan would be a perfect choice, but any other heavy bottom pan should work well. Lastly, you can add a little of butter or oil, just for lovely glossy look! I also added a few rosemary sprigs, but it didn’t give much flavour.
I hope you like this method for roasting chestnuts. If you make these Pan-Roasted Chestnuts, let me know in this post or send me an Instagram message or share your photos adding the hashtag #havocinthekitchen.
Cheers!
Pan-Roasted Chestnuts
Course: Snacks6-8
servings10
minutes20
minutesPan-Roasted Chestnuts are an easy and quick method. So festive and delicious, chestnuts are a perfect treat for the holiday season!
Ingredients
about 1 lb. chestnuts
1/4 cup water (may need a little more)
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. butter
few small rosemary sprigs (optional)
Directions
- Using a sharp knife, score (x-shaped cuts) your chestnuts. This step keeps them from exploding from internal pressure when heated and makes peeling easier after roasting. Avoid making too dip cuts.
- Soak the scored chestnuts in cold water for 10 minutes.
- Preheat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Place the chestnuts, water, rosemary (if using), and salt in pan with lid on. Cook covered for 10 minutes, shaking pan every minute, so nuts cook evenly. The water also helps ensure even heating by steaming them and preventing them from drying out too much – so you may need to add a little bit more water if it’s evaporated fast.
- At the end of the initial 10 minutes cooking with the lid on, the water will evaporate, and the nut shells will start to get a bit charred and smoky. Uncover the pan. Stir nuts constantly while uncovered 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.
- After 5 minutes, remove lid and let the chestnuts cool down to eating temperature. You can peel them or serve them with shells for an authentic presentation. But please keep in mind that once fully cooled, it will be slightly more difficult to peel them. Enjoy!
Hi – I’m Ben, a blogger, recipe developer, and food photographer. I’m glad you’re here! I hope you will enjoy hundreds of delicious recipes and a pinch of havoc in the kitchen.
I was given a bag of little chestnuts (about the size of acorns). It worked fine! I had to cut them in half to get the meat out, and as they cooled it got more difficult to peel them. Great for nibbles, but now I’m looking for recipes that call for chestnut crumbles.
This is one of the things I miss in the Philippines, from November you see a lot of Chestnut roaster everywhere, in NZ where I am now its hard to find freshly roasted chestnuts, mostly packed already
Thank you, Raymund!
My hand is way up for chestnut love! I’ve only roasted them in the oven, so I’m looking forward to trying this method.And cheers to opening the holiday season — on the blog and everywhere. :-) ~Valentina
Valentina recently posted…Smoky Bacon Wrapped Turkey for Thanksgiving
Thank you, Valentina!
Your chestnuts turned out beautifully, Ben! I didn’t grow up eating chestnuts, but my husband’s Southern family puts them in their cornbread stuffing and it was love at first bite for me, haha. We also enjoyed buying them from street vendors in Paris – such delicious and healthy snack. Definitely trying your recipe for the holidays – thank you!
Thank you, Marissa!
I do love chestnuts – I always associate them with the holidays! One year we roasted them in the fire just to say we did, but I think your pan roasting idea is much easier. I’ll have to give this a try. Chestnuts should be showing up in the grocery stores here soon!
David @ Spiced recently posted…Pecan Habanero Pimento Cheese
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Ah roasted chestnuts! Of course I’ve had them! I grew up on them in fact. Back in the day, they used to sell them on the streets in New York. That seems to have disappeared but we often make them at home, either in the oven or, even better, in our fireplace. Pure heaven!
Thank you, Frank!
Ben, I was not aware of this method of pan roasting chestnuts. I normally just do mine in the oven. I’m a huge lover of chestnuts too, like yourself. When the chestnuts come into the shops here I can’t wait to try out this method. Thanks!
Neil recently posted…10 Best Winter Scottish Soup Recipes
Thank you, Neil!
we certainly don’t have them here in sunny queensland but they do grow down south. i remember as a child seeing them for sale on the roadside. i think we can get them vacuum-packed at christmas! lovely aren’t they?
Thank you, Sherry!
I want some too :-)) Yours turned out fabulous, Ben.
angiesrecipes recently posted…Pumpkin Quince Curry
Thank you, Angie!
Chestnuts are not common here. We had a tree growing up, but I can’t remember ever having the chestnuts themselves.
Thank you, Tandy!
Ooh, I haven’t done anything with chestnuts in years!! But now I will keep my eyes peeled for them!! A great treat!!
Thank you, Liz!