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IngredientsMethod

Roasted chestnuts with split brown shells and pale golden kernels in a copper dish and on a wooden table.
İstanbul style

Last updated:

Last updated:

Roasted Chestnuts

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Kestane kebap

Chestnuts scored, soaked and oven-roasted until tender, then rested under a cloth for easier peeling—a home version of a familiar Istanbul winter snack.

Prep
10 min
Cook
25 min
Rest
1 hr
Total
1 hr 35 min
Servings
4

Ingredients

Method

  1. Wash the chestnuts under running water. Make a crosswise cut through the shell and thin inner skin on the rounded side of each chestnut, without cutting deeply into the flesh.

  2. Put the chestnuts in a bowl, add the table salt and cover with hot water. Soak for 40 minutes. Heat a conventional oven to 390°F.

  3. Drain and place the chestnuts cut-side up in a wide ovenproof dish. Set the dish inside a baking tray and pour the measured tray water into the outer tray. Roast for 25 minutes, until the shells open and the flesh is tender when tested with a fork. Continue roasting if needed.

  4. Remove from the oven, cover the chestnuts with a clean cloth and rest for 20 minutes. Peel off the outer shells and inner skins, and serve warm.

Cooking guidance

Use fresh, firm chestnuts that feel heavy for their size. Cut the shell and inner skin rather than making a deep cut into the nut.

The water goes in the outer tray, not over the chestnuts in their dish. Judge tenderness with a fork; oven performance and chestnut size vary.

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