what do they taste like?

Once roasted, they’re rich, sweet, buttery and nutty, sharing a natural affinity with complementary autumnal ingredients such as butternut squash and mushrooms.

tips, tricks & hacks

• Roast, then blend into a purée to use in savoury dishes such as mushroom soup or spread between the layers of a squash, spinach, ricotta and mushroom lasagne…
• … Or use it in sweet dishes. The purée is a brilliant way to subtly flavour cream or ice cream. Alternatively, use it sandwich together macarons or in the classic French dessert, mont blanc.  
• Coarsely chop to add to a port-and-fig-flavoured sausage meat stuffing for rolled pork belly. 
• Sprinkle coarsely chopped roasted chestnuts over a creamy mushroom or squash risotto to serve. 
• Chop roughly and add to a mix for meatloaf. Try mixing with minced pork and beef, chopped mortadella, parmesan and parsley and rolling around boiled eggs to make an Italian polpettone.
• Add to a traybake of gnocchi with sausage meatballs, roasted butternut squash and ripped mozzarella.
• Blend roasted chestnuts with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil for a ‘houmous’ to serve with crudités.
• Add to a tray of roasting vegetables – they’re great alongside squash chunks and fennel wedges.
• Scatter coarsely chopped roasted chestnuts over bowls of warming pumpkin soup.

easy meal idea

Stir-fried brussels sprouts with chestnuts

This makes a satisfying side dish for any wintry roast. 

1. Finely slice brussels sprouts, coarsely chop Mediterranean Chestnuts and snip rashers of smoked streaky bacon into strips.  
   
   
2. Add some butter and a little oil to a frying pan on a high heat. When the butter has melted, toss in the bacon and cook until its fat starts to render, then add the sprouts and chestnuts. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes, until the sprouts are beginning to wilt and everything is piping hot, then remove from the heat, dress with a little balsamic vinegar, and serve straight away.