How to cook fresh chestnuts. In a nutshell:

1. Score the chestnuts.
2. Boil the chestnuts.
3. Roast the chestnuts.
4. Steam the chestnuts.

Fresh chestnuts:

Chestnuts boiling:
First, score the chestnuts in one slice along the rounded side. Add the nuts to a pot, cover with cold water and a dash of salt, bring to a boil.

Chestnuts roasting:
After the nuts come to a boil, fish them out and immediately transfer them to a hot oven, about 425 degrees F. I was already roasting potatoes so I decided to let the oven do double duty.

Chestnuts ready to pop open and eat:
After the chestnuts roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, transfer to a bowl and cover for 15 minutes so they steam-cook the rest of the way. They’ll be warm and easy to handle.

The one departure here from tradition is boiling before roasting. I’ve tried roasting without boiling and I have to say, boiling them first makes a moister, not chalky, nut that cooks evenly. They’re also less apt to singe if you leave them in the oven too long.

By the way, chestnuts are very low in fat. These 3 have about:

• 69 calories
• 1 gram total fat
• 15 grams carbohydrate
• 1 gram protein
• 1 gram fiber