Salt Roasted Chestnuts

Salt roasted chestnuts are a simple and traditional way to cook chestnuts, particularly enjoyed during the autumn and winter months. Let’s look at the recipe together:

Ingredients

• Chestnuts (as many as you like)
• Enough coarse salt

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
2. Make a horizontal cut on the skin of the chestnuts with a sharp knife. This step is essential to prevent the chestnuts from exploding during baking.
3. Take a baking tray and distribute a uniform layer of coarse salt on the bottom.
4. Place the chestnuts with the cut side up over the layer of salt.
5. Put the chestnuts in the oven and let them cook for about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the chestnuts. They will be ready when the skin has opened and they have reached a soft consistency.
6. Once cooked, take the chestnuts out of the oven and wrap them in a clean kitchen towel. This will help the skin to peel off more easily.
7. When they are cool enough to handle, peel the chestnuts and serve them.

Remember that the salt is only there to create the ideal environment for baking and not to season the chestnuts, so don’t worry if you don’t taste the salt on them.

Curiosity

In some countries, there are traditions related to cooking chestnuts, such as the “caldarroste”, which are cooked on large perforated pans directly on the embers and are often sold on the street during the holiday periods. In Italy, in particular, salt-roasted chestnuts can be found at autumn festivals and are a much-appreciated comfort food on cold winter days.