The easiest way to do a recipe such as Brussels sprouts and chestnuts in red wine sauce, is to open a can of chestnuts. But the most satisfying method and the one which will ultimately give the best results, is to start with a bag of fresh chestnuts. In order to do a recipe that way, however, you need to know how to get the nuts out the shells ready for adding to the dish. So, that's the first thing we'll do here. The process involves partially cooking the nuts so that the shells are softened but the nuts remain firm.
Before cooking, make a cut through the shell of each chestnut to make it easier to peel them later. You can simply slice the shell from the pointy end to the base, or make an X or V shaped cut. It's up to you. Whatever you find works best.
Put the nuts in a pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about three minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, but leave the nuts in the water as that helps keep the shells soft. Remove three or four nuts at a time and as soon as they are cool enough to handle, peel them. It's a fiddly business and some will peel easier than others, but you'll find it gets easier as you go.
You can use the nuts straight away, store them in the fridge for a few days or put them in bags and freeze for up to three months.
To roast chestnuts, begin by slitting the shells as above (if you don't, you'll blow up the kitchen and possibly injure yourself). Heat a large heavy frying pan to a high temperature and lay the chestnuts in it. Roll them around occasionally to roast them evenly, but don't worry too much if the skins blacken and smoke. They should take fifteen to twenty minutes to roast through, depending on the size of the nuts.
The recipe for Brussels sprouts and chestnuts mentioned above was the first chestnut recipe I posted on my cookbook. I've posted the second one bellow. In time it may become the first in a modest list.
pumpkin and chestnuts with coconut