After singing about them for years, it’s high time we actually roast some chestnuts at home. While they’re not over an open fire, this holiday recipe will leave your guests wanting more.
This article first appeared in Traverse Northern Michigan. Find this story and more when you explore our magazine library. Want Traverse delivered to your door or inbox monthly? View our print subscription and digital subscription options.
It used to be that “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” was just a kitschy, albeit classic, song lyric to me. That’s changed, and I’ve grown to have profound appreciation for this tree, fruit and bar snack.
Spurred in part by their ability to store more carbon dioxide than other trees, the American chestnut has become a darling of climate conscious farmers. In recent years, some Northern Michigan cherry growers have begun replacing aged-out orchards with chestnut trees. As a result, every November, this fast-growing perennial crop is a new regular in the checkout line at local specialty stores and some of my favorite restaurants.
Photo by Dave Weidner
One bleak November day a few years back some girlfriends and I met for dinner at The Cooks’ House in Traverse City, where chef Jen Blakeslee greeted us with a small bowl of scored chestnuts—warm, fragrant, slathered in butter and utterly addictive. They were the perfect autumnal amuse, and I was still thinking about them one year later when chestnut season returned. That autumn, I made sure to nab some before their fleeting season expired and roasted them at home—wooing my red-nosed children with a warm after-school snack. No, I didn’t go so far as to roast them in the fireplace. The oven works just fine, thank you very much. I did, however, sprinkle them with a little smoked flake salt to give them just a kiss of that “open fire.”
I highly recommend adding this easy three-ingredient bar snack to your Thanksgiving recipe rotation. You be the judge of whether your crowd would prefer the climate conversation or a little Nat King Cole.
Roasted Chestnuts Recipe
Makes 2 cups, to be served as a bar snack
- 10 ounces fresh chestnuts
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- A few pinches of smoked sea salt, to taste
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Using your thumb and pointer finger, squeeze a chestnut firmly to cause the skin to separate from the meat inside. Working with a sharp paring knife, score an x through the skin on the flat side of the chestnut while squeezing it. Repeat until you have scored every chestnut, arranging them scored side up on a dry baking sheet. Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and roast until the cut skin has peeled back and opened like a flower, about 15 minutes depending on the size of your chestnuts.
3. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and toss the chestnuts with butter while the pan is still hot. Sprinkle with smoked salt and serve with a discard bowl for the skins, which should easily peel away with your fingers.
Stacey Brugeman is a 20-year food and beverage journalist. Her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Saveur, Travel + Leisure, Eater and on Instagram @staceybrugeman.
Dave Weidner is an editorial photographer and videographer based in Northern Michigan. Follow him on Instagram and Facebook @dzwphoto.
Sarah Peschel, @22speschel, is a stylist and photographer with an appreciation for all things local agriculture, food and drink.