"As with spices, the flavour of nuts intensifies when they are briefly roasted. It also makes them crunchier and easier to remove any shells. They can be roasted in the oven, but also on the hob in a non-stick pan. You have slightly better control on the hob. If you want to shell the nuts, let them cool down a little first, then wrap them in a kitchen towel and rub them together vigorously until the shells fall off by themselves."