Chestnuts, get `em while they're hot
These tasty nuts are a festive tradition we should be celebrating more. Sophie Morris looks at the many culinary uses of the humble chestnut
Christmases past
Hot roasted chestnuts, bought from a street vendor, go together with Christmas like Scrooge and the ghost of Christmas past – we see them as a throwback to the Victorian era, when Quality Street and Heston-designed mince pies were much harder to come by, and the streets were lined with carts selling these sweet and bountiful nuts.
Ancient trees
The majestic chestnut tree has been growing in Europe for over 3,000 years. It is thought it was brought this way from Asia. The trees produce a bountiful harvest each autumn and winter, from mid-October to January, across the UK and Mediterranean countries.
Throughout the rest of year, chestnuts are imported into Britain and around the world. They are so popular that the import/export route map for chestnuts is one of the most complicated there is!
Pick your own
Right now however, chestnuts are so plentiful that you’re likely to spot some on most country walks. Alan Stewart, head chef at London’s Manson, which focuses on seasonal produce, says that you don’t even need to specifically forage for chestnuts at the moment because there are so many around on the ground.
He has them on his menu with a pot roast pheasant, both in with the bird and in a salad of raw chestnuts, bacon and savoy cabbage. He will soon add a chestnut pannacotta to the dessert menu.
“Chestnuts have a unique ability to go with lots of things,” says Stewart. “Right now they’re in season, and in their prime.”
Do try this at home
Because we are hung up on the image of the chestnut street vendor, it’s easy to forget how easy and delicious chestnuts are to cook at home. They are easy to roast in this special pan and go especially well with game.
“When you see chestnuts around for the first time in mid autumn it is a cue to leave those fine leaf salads and other summery dishes behind,” says David Eyre, head chef of Iberian restaurant Eyre Brothers, which uses chestnuts generously during the season, just as cooks would in rural Spain and Portugal.
Eyre, who opened The Eagle in 1991, which is widely credited as the country’s first “gastropub”, explains that chestnuts are a truly seasonal ingredient because they go so well with the other vegetables we have around at this time of year – white onions, savoy cabbage, sprouts and other brassica greens, and mushrooms. They can also be puréed and glaceéd for a sweet dessert. They go with few herbs though – parsley, fennel and possibly sage.
How to roast chestnuts
Foraging for your own chestnuts on a brisk country walk and roasting them over an open fire might be a satisfying way to spend an afternoon, but don’t overlook the ready-shelled vacuum packed chestnuts available from supermarkets and specialist food shops.
Eyre says they lose none of their flavour during the packing process - and they’re much easier to deal with than a hot roasted nut with a cracked shell and exploding centre.
More ways with chestnuts
Vegetarian chestnut bourguignonne pie recipe
Pumpkin and chestnut soup recipe
Chestnuts – great veggie ingredient for Christmas
This is an updated classic lovefood article
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