Châtaignes Rôties au Feu de Bois

There are moments in France when the air alone tells you the season. It smells of smoke, damp leaves, and chestnuts slowly roasting over glowing embers. On street corners in Paris, in the stone villages of Ardèche, in the misty markets of the Morvan — a small paper cone of warm châtaignes rôties is all one needs to feel at home.

 

Before they were a delicacy, chestnuts were a lifeline. In poor mountain regions, they were called le pain des bois — “the bread of the forest.” Dried, milled into flour, or roasted over fire, they nourished entire generations through harsh winters. And even now, when life is softer and ovens hum instead of hearths, the ritual remains.

 

Ingredients

 

(Serves 4)

 

• 500 g (1.1 lb) fresh chestnuts, still in their shells
• 1 tbsp coarse salt
• A sprig of rosemary (optional, for scent)
• A small knob of butter or drizzle of olive oil, for serving

 

1. With a sharp knife, make a small cross cut in the flat side of each chestnut. This keeps them from bursting and helps peel them later.
2. Soak the chestnuts in warm water for about 10 minutes — it softens the shells. Drain and pat dry.
3. Place them in a heavy pan or a roasting tray, sprinkle with salt, and roast over an open flame or in the oven at 200°C / 400°F for about 25 minutes.
4. Shake the pan occasionally until the shells darken and curl back. The scent will tell you when they’re ready — nutty, sweet, and faintly smoky.
5. Wrap the hot chestnuts in a clean towel for a few minutes. The steam loosens the skins, making them easier to peel.

 

Serve them warm, with butter if you wish, or simply as they are — eaten with fingers that smell faintly of smoke and joy.

 

If you’re lucky enough to roast them over real firewood, throw a sprig of rosemary into the flames. The scent rises, mingling with the smoke, and for a moment the whole world feels like home.

 

🍷 Wine pairing

 

A Côtes du Rhône Villages Rouge — soft, round, and a little spicy, like the warmth of a fire in a glass. Or, if you’re by the hearth, a glass of aged Armagnac will do just as well.

 

Final note

 

In the Morvan, it’s said that roasted chestnuts are best shared — one for each story told.

And if you find yourself walking through the night markets of Dijon or Lyon, follow your nose. The fire will find you first.