Time for "Caldarroste" in Tuscany

It’s the time of the year to sit in front of the fire and eat a handful of hot caldarroste (roasted chestnuts) with a glass of Chianti wine. What else could you ask for?

Large parts of central and northern Italy are covered with castagneti (chestnut woods) and for centuries chestnuts have been the main winter food source . This is reflected into the variety of chestnut dishes, both sweet and savory, which are still popular today. During October and November, chestnut festivals are celebrated across Italy to welcome the chestnut harvest and signal the end of the harvesting season.

Chestnuts can be eaten raw, roasted , boiled or dried or candied or in chestnut flour.

Try the following recipe for

 Caldarroste (Roasted Chestnuts):

With a small, sharp knife make a cut in each chestnuts The cut allows the steam to escape while they are cooking Put the chestnuts in a chestnut pan.

Roast over the fire for 15 to 25 minutes or until the chestnuts are tender and the shells are beginning to open.

The tricky part is actually knowing when they are done. If you over-cook or under-cook them, they will get hard and the inner skin will be very difficult to remove.

Now the hard part: peeling them! You need to peel them while they are still hot. Let them cool just enough to touch them.

Be very careful not to burn your fingers!