There’s nothing more festive than delicious warm roasted chestnuts, perfect on their own, or mixed into a stuffing or served with meat…

Prep the chestnuts

Preheat the oven to 200C. Wash the chestnuts, lie them flat-side-down on a chopping board. Make and ‘X’ shape mark on them with a knife, cutting through just the outer shell (this is to allow them to cook properly while allowing steam to escape).

Roasting them

Place them in an oven-safe roasting tin and make sure they’re not overcrowded (there should be one layer of chestnuts per tin). Leave them in the oven for around 30 minutes, until they spilt. The inside should be a golden-brown colour. Alternatively, If you want extra smooth chestnuts (for making a sauce, for example), boil them for 30 minutes instead of baking them.

Peeling

Once they’ve split, allow them to cool for at least 10 minutes. Once cool enough, peel the off the remaining outer shell- and voila! They’re ready to serve.

For the most delicious chestnut recipes click here