Kamikaze chestnuts

There's something very comforting about roasted chestnuts in the middle of the winter. Yesterday my friend decided to roast chestnuts in his oven, as we lacked the availability of an open fire to cluster round. As we waited, the music from the Korean TV show we were watching was punctated by thumps coming from the oven, indicating that the chestnuts were cooking nicely.

Perhaps a bit too nicely as it turned out. After a particularly loud 'whump' we opened the oven door and cautiously took the lid off the baking tray. One chestnut had decided to sacrifice itself for its comrades by exploding in an attempt to break out of the oven. As we took the tray out, another chestnut exploded between my friend's feet (and resulting, I'm ashamed to say, in a shriek from me). Evidently this was another noble attempt to save the rest by attacking us. Unfortunately for them, it had the opposite effect, as we decided to quickly stab all the remaining chestnuts to release the air inside before they all turned into little suicide bombers. There was one last stand by a chestnut I stabbed, as it retaliated with a stream of hot juice across my arm and the chair behind.

Unexpected excitment from an evening snack.

For those who wish to roast their own chestnuts in a more peaceful manner, this is what you should do

1. Cut a cross into the skin of the chestnut, to act as a steam vent whilst cooking. This will prevent the kamikaze attacks characteristic of the sort I described above.
2. Put the chestnuts in a metal roasting tray, and place into a preferably preheated oven at about 225 degrees centrigrade.

3. After about 20-25 minutes they should be cooked.

4. Peel whilst warm. You could turn the oven off and keep the chestnuts warm in it whilst you peel a few at a time.