ROASTING AND TOASTING
The origins of roasting chestnuts inside crispy, charred brown skins over a roaring fire dates back centuries. History suggests they were first sold as a street food in 16th century Rome, though they are also associated with the Portuguese St Martin’s Day, taking place in late autumn. Sweet chestnuts can be foraged in December in the UK, the trees bearing the fruits inside green, spiky parcels. Once the shiny nut is removed, a sharp knife is used to score an ‘X’ on each one. This prevents steam building up inside the skin, causing the nut to explode. Chestnuts can be roasted in a long-handled pan, with holes in the bottom, which exposes the nuts to direct heat. It takes approximately 20 minutes to roast a batch: when they are ready, the skins char and start to peel away. They should then be removed from the heat and wrapped in a tea towel for five minutes. The shell is carefully removed, and the mealy nut can be eaten with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt to bring out the buttery flavour. Chestnuts can be cooked directly over a barbecue, placed on a grill or suspended in a metal basket and cooked on a firepit. A slice of bread threaded onto a toasting fork and held over the flames is another traditional fireside treat. In her 1861 Book of Household Management, Mrs Beeton suggests: ‘Cut as many nice even slices as may be required, rather more than one inch in thickness, and toast them before a very bright fire, without allowing the bread to blacken, which spoils the appearance and flavour of all toast. When of a nice colour on both sides, put it on a hot plate; divide some good butter into small pieces, place them on the toast, set this before the fire, and when the butter is just beginning to melt, spread it lightly over the toast.’