Oh blimey, how do I cook chestnuts?

[BendyBobsBrusselsSprouts]

Dh did some Christams food shopping. I put chestnuts on the list with a view to using them in a sprout/bacon recipe (which I've never done before.)

I meant for him to get those cooked ones vacuum packed but of course he didn't know what I meant and has brought home ones in shells.

I'm likely to only need to know this once a year at Christmas, but what do I do with them?? (assume I can't just use the peeled and raw in my sprout concoction.) Roast them maybe? Help!

With a sharp vegetable knife slash a cross into one side of each chestnut. Then either boil or bake in a hot oven for about 10 - 15 mins until the inside is cooked but not too fluffy. (They will also smell 'done' in the oven). Then the trick is to keep them hot while you peel them... and it's a messy, fiddly job so perfect penance for DH... because, as they cool down, the skins go very tight. Once peeled you can refrigerate or freeze for another day.

You must slash them otherwise they will explode inside your oven creating a godawful mess which takes ages to clean.

I always stick them on a metal skewer over the flame on the gas hob for a couple of minutes.

They spit and crackle and smoke a bit and then you dunk them in cold water for about 5 secs to cool them enough to peel them, which you do whilst hopping about as you burn your fingers and then your mouth by eating them before they cool down enough.

I have never had enough patience to do them properly, but I would do them in the oven if I had.

Might have to go to the shops for chestnuts tomorrow. Yum!

microwave.
put about 5 at a time on a plate with a little water.
about 45sec full whack (until they make a ffffffftt noise). then they are easy to peel (but very hot).

Oh I love chestnuts, my daughter was down in Tesco a few nights ago and all their Tesco finest chestnuts were reduced to 20p a bag, she brought me home about 10 bags :) We're roasting them every night and they are yummy!

Oh thank you all so so much. I have never cooked a chestnut before! Will have a go tomorrow. Asbestos fingers required for peeling by the sounds of it

Put a cut in them and microwave but only for 1-2 mins - if you go longer they burst into flames and you cannot get the smell out of the microwave.