Chestnuts

It’s Christmas time, and we’re shopping in Oxford Street in London. As we approach a small street brazier, coals aglow, our noses pick up that classic savour of roasted chestnuts. It’s odd that we rarely cook them at home just to eat, only using them in our chestnut stuffings. But here we are trying to carry far too many carrier bags, and these wonderful eats suddenly take priority. The first bite (once peeled) releases a slightly bittersweet taste, but the texture then becomes tender all the way through.