Nuts aren’t just for Christmas - so why not get cracking in the kitchen!

Now that Halloween is over the major supermarkets are bombarding us with Christmas marketing.
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Above and beyond the selection boxes, crackers, cards and wrapping paper there is one section that is quite comforting. At the edge of the vegetable aisle there are shelves stocked with bright nets of different types of nuts in their shells - Brazil nuts, hazelnuts and walnuts sit cheek by jowl beside the chestnuts. Chestnuts are the epitome of Christmas. In the streets of London they literally “roast them over an open fire” producing a smoky, sweet smell that permeates through the air.

A few years ago I spent Christmas in Italy where it’s traditional to eat chestnuts on Christmas Eve. The friend I was staying with had a specially made frying pan that he’d drilled holes in. These shiny, mahogany like large button shaped nuts were placed in the pan, covered and placed over an open flame. When they started to pop he placed them in a newspaper and wrapped it up tightly to allow them to steam open. They were peeled and eaten with a toot of Vin Santo sweet wine. Chestnuts are too good to just use for stuffing one day a year. They can be added to garnish for soup, candied in desserts, or added to a warm salad as in the first recipe. The chestnuts are paired with a salt baked celeriac, apple and balsamic truffle dressing. Salt baking root vegetables is a great way of cooking them without steaming up the house and you get brilliant flavour to boot. Make a dough out of flour, egg white and salt and encase the celeriac in it and bake. Crack off the dough to reveal a perfectly cooked and seasoned vegetable. It also works well with carrots, turnip and beetroot. The truffle side of things is a vinegar produced by Burren Balsamics infused with this luxurious mushroom. It’s perfect with the salt baked celeriac, some apple slices and shaved chestnut over the top. It’s autumn on a plate.

Walnuts are in season now and readily available. Walnuts in their natural casing have a more creamy texture than their already shelled variety. Whatever way you choose to buy them they’re lovely in my second recipe this week for a walnut cake. It’s flourless and not too sweet making it an ideal accompaniment to blue or goat’s cheese. I’ve also added some honeyed pears – hot from the grill with warm cake and cool cheese – what could be better?

If have walnuts that have been around for a time and smell a bit whiffy don’t throw them out. Roast them on a baking tray for five minutes and this will freshen them up sufficiently to use.

Hazelnuts are my favourite nut – brilliant in desserts or savoury dishes. I’ve combined them with ale, dates and some of Burren Balsamic’s blackberry and thyme vinegar in a smooth dressing for another autumnal gem.

Nuts aren’t just for Christmas – get cracking.

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