- Poke an X in the curved side with the tip of a very sharp knife. Serrated knives won't work; that's how I nicked a finger. Aim for the curved side because that lets you press the flat side against a cutting board. Plates won't work. And forget about only cutting through the shell. How can you tell you haven't punctured the nutmeat?
- Arrange the chestnuts in a single layer in an enameled cast-iron pot. The heavy lid is important--if a chestnut explodes, the heavy pot contains the mess nicely.
- Place said pot in a 350-degree oven. Bake for roughly 20 minutes, until the shells show black spots and they start peeling back at the X. Or some other location. It appeared rather arbitrary.
- Take out the pot and put it over a medium-low flame on the stove. This will keep the chestnuts warm while you are peeling them.
- Peel the chestnuts, using a paper towel to help you hold them. Keep a small knife on hand to help with the fibrous parts. Use the tip of said knife to dig out the meat because peeling only works well in theory.
- Dip hands occasionally in cool water to stave off burns.
Verdict: forget it. I'm staring at the nick on my finger right now.
