Chestnut Tips
Shelling Chestnuts: Cut them in half, place in the microwave in a covered dish, and microwave on high 70 seconds. Let cool slightly before peeling. One pound of unshelled chestnuts will yield about 2 1⁄2 cups shelled.
Roasting: Prep: Cut an X on the flat side of each chestnut with a sharp paring knife.
Fire-Roasting: Place chestnuts in a grill pan or chestnut roaster and gently shake over a fire about 15 minutes.
Oven-Roasting: Place chestnuts in a shallow baking pan. Roast 20 minutes at 350F, or until corners of X’s curl up.
Peeling: While warm remove outer shell. To remove papery skin, roll chestnuts in a clean dish towel and rub off the skin.
—By David Feder, Chestnuts 101
