Steph Gaudreau: Roasted Chestnuts with Herbed Brown Butter

I'm pretty fascinated by chestnuts, especially with all of the holiday songs that mention them.  I drink the chestnut praline lattes at Starbucks every winter, but that's about all the chestnut I have in my life.  So I figured I would try a savory version and see what I thought.  The herb butter is really nice, but there's just something about the texture of these things that I can't get past.  They're not really a nut, more...mushy.  And my brain has a hard time with that.  However, if you absolutely love chestnuts, you'll probably enjoy these.

Note:  Admission time - I tried to roast the chestnuts and peel them.  I really did.  But the chestnuts wouldn't peel cleanly, and I didn't want to serve half-peeled chestnuts, so I ended up buying some already roasted, peeled chestnuts and using those.

Roasted Chestnuts with Herbed Brown Butter
From Steph Gaudreau

1 pound chestnuts
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Using a sharp knife, score an X in the top of each chestnut. You don’t have to cut deep down into the meat, but make sure you pierce the skin. Chestnuts will explode in the oven if not properly scored. Roast the chestnuts on a baking sheet for 20 to 30 minutes, until the shells have peeled back. Allow to cool, and peel the shells off.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the ghee. If using butter, allow it to brown. Toss in the herbs and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the peeled chestnuts, season with salt and pepper, and stir well.

Cook for another couple of minutes and serve warm.

Makes 4 servings