Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2007/January 2008 | Page 101

FOOD & DRINK

life

Chestnuts for Christmas - we put a
different spin on the traditional
festive treat.
Chestnuts roasted on the open
fire, or in the oven, are one of
the memorable aromas of the
winter festivities. Delicious
eaten alone, they can also
be used in many seasonal
winter dishes and desserts.
When buying fresh chestnuts,
choose heavy nuts with skins
that are shiny and smooth,
not puckered. They should
be used quickly, as they
become tough and lose flavour
when they start to dry out.
Boiling or roasting makes
their skins easier to remove.
Here is a great
chestnut-based dish to enjoy
on a cold winter’s day.

Chestnut, apple and
pine kernel stuffing
Ingredients: 1 small
onion, chopped;
grated zest of 1 lemon;

25g butter;
110g white breadcrumbs;
1 tbsp (15g) chopped parsley;
2 English dessert apples,
peeled, cored and chopped;
50g pine nuts;
100g chopped cooked chestnuts
(fresh or from frozen);
2 medium eggs, beaten;
salt and freshly ground pepper.
Method: Preheat oven to
180°C (160°C for fan-assisted
ovens). Gently sweat the
onion and lemon zest in the
butter for 10 minutes. Add
the onion mixture to the
other ingredients, binding
with the eggs. Roll into
balls and place on a greased
baking sheet. Cook for 20
minutes or until brown. Serve
around the roasted meat.

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