NUTTY DELIGHT

Chestnuts lend a mellow flavour and varying texture to both sweet and savoury dishes

Chestnut, thyme and cheese tart

Serves 4

200g chestnuts

5 thyme sprigs

300g cream cheese

4 long shallots, trimmed, peeled and halved lengthways

1 tbsp rapeseed oil pinch of sugar

8 filo pastry sheets

25g melted butter

2 tsp small capers

1 tbsp pink peppercorns sea salt and black pepper Boil the chestnuts for 10 mins in a large saucepan of water.

Drain and rinse in cold water to cool.

Roughly crush the nuts with the end of a rolling pin in a bowl and remove the skins. Arrange the shallots on a grill tray, drizzle with the oil, sprinkle with sugar, and season. Place under a hot preheated grill for 15 mins until they are soft and golden.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Line an oven tray with baking paper and cut each of the pastry sheets into four rectangles. Place one rectangle on the tray, then brush it with the melted butter.

Place another on top and continue until there are eight rectangles on top of each other. Repeat to make four pastry stacks. In a small bowl, place the cream cheese and capers, then pull the leaves from all but two of the sprigs of thyme and add to the cheese.

Season with black and pink pepper, and stir. Cover the pastry stacks with the cheese, leaving a 1cm border.

Place the chestnuts and the grilled shallots on top and add the remainder of the thyme sprigs. Bake for 15 mins until the pastry is golden, then serve the tarts warm.