December’s Food: The Chestnut
Delicious Roasted Nuts
By Emma Hamilton
The chestnut is just one of the finest seasonal foods available this month. Although they can be bought all year round, the chestnut is in it’s prime during the winter months. What’s more, a long winters walk in the country can lead you straight to these hidden gems. Chestnut trees are present features throughout Scotland, they can be identified by their spikey tufts. Be careful to avoid horse chestnuts though as they’re poisonous!
Here at NOM we’ve comprised some handy tips on how to prepare the No.1 seasonal food this Christmas.
You can either boil or roast chestnuts.
To boil :
Place the chestnuts in a large pan and bring to the boil.
They should be tender after 5-15 minutes, depending on how old the chestnuts are.
Drain and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
The glossy outer skin can then be peeled ( this is a lot easier to do while warm but don’t burn your fingers!)
Many people have said that boiling the chestnuts is the easiest cooking method, but if like the Christmas carol you would rather have your “chestnuts roasting on an open fire”, ( or the oven in NOM’s case) follow our guide below…
To roast:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
Next make a slit in each of your chestnuts to prevent them from exploding and making a mess of your oven.
Place them in a roasting tin and cook for 20-30 minutes until the skins open.
Leave to cool and then enjoy!
NOM Top Tip : cooked chestnuts can also be frozen , perfect for adding to those festive recipes throughout the winter season.
NOM Mag Online 