In for a roasting

Chestnuts and pumpkin are a magic combination.

The idea of pumpkin soup seems to soothe the soul on rainy days, whereas chestnuts evoke foreign images of charcoal braziers and frosty nights. But although both ingredients are redolent of winter, chestnuts seem to be used more for table decoration than for cooking. The nuts on sale at the market always look attractive in their string bags, but most people don’t know how to cook them, fearing the hard shell and the prospect of split fingernails. But panic not, for the roasting process is simple – although a bit time-consuming. Just follow the recipe below. Alternatively, just buy a jar of prepared, unsweetened natural chestnuts.

Pumpkin makes a soup that should be silky of texture and comforting of heart; chestnuts make sublime soups that are well worth the effort. So, what better than a combination of the two, which results in a creamy, sweet and earthy soup?

PUMPKIN AND CHESTNUT SOUP

2 tbsp unsalted butter

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a high heat. Add the vegetables, garlic and bay leaf, then cook for 5 minutes. Add the chestnuts, stock and water, then bring to a simmer and cook until the vegetables and chestnuts are tender and breaking apart – about 30 minutes. Purée this mixture until smooth. (I prefer a wand-type blender that can be used in the saucepan.) Return the purée to a gentle simmer, then add the cream and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then pass the soup through a fine sieve before serving. The soup may be thinned with a little hot water if necessary.

Serves 6.

MY MOTHER USED TO boil brussels sprouts to death. As a result, their acidic aroma permeated every nook and cranny of the house, and I disliked them intensely. At the other end of the scale, they were served undercooked, which was like eating green bullets. Years later, I began to understand brussels sprouts after reading French chef Paul Bocuse’s recipe that quickly sautéed the leaves in butter and parsley. Try them with chestnuts and bacon and be converted to this marvellous vegetable. Sorry, Mum.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BACON, CHESTNUTS AND ONIONS

700g brussel sprouts, trimmed and

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil, and add the brussels sprouts quarters. Cook for about 3 minutes, then drain and set aside. Preheat a frying pan over a high heat, then fry the bacon until crisp. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the chestnuts and sprouts and sauté until the sprouts take on a little colour and become tender. Add the water and continue cooking until it evaporates. Season with salt and pepper, then serve.

Serves 4.

LAST AUTUMN, THERE WAS a man roasting and selling buttery, salted chestnuts outside Wellington’s Freyberg swimming pool. From the back door of my kitchen, I could smell them cooking and I couldn’t resist wandering down and buying a bagful. I sincerely hope he comes back this year.

ROASTED SALTED CHESTNUTS

1kg chestnuts

2 tsp sea salt flakes

Preheat the oven to 180?C. Carefully score the outer skins of the chestnuts with a Stanley or craft knife, then roast them for about 20 minutes. Remove the nuts from the oven and wrap them in a tea towel for 5 minutes. Peel the warm nuts, then toss them in the butter and sprinkle with salt before cosying up and eating them.

Serves 6-8.

MAKE THIS DISH A few days ahead, then reheat it in the oven for a perfect supper. Alternatively, it can be served for dinner with some hearty meat that has been cooked on the bone until meltingly tender.

PUMPKIN AND POTATO GRATIN

2 cups milk

pepper

Preheat the oven to 180?C. Bring the milk and cream to the boil in a small saucepan, then set aside to cool. Cut the pumpkin and potatoes into 3mm slices, then place in separate bowls and season with salt and pepper. Put a third of the cheese and a crushed garlic clove into each bowl. Whisk the cooled milk and cream with the eggs, and divide equally between the potatoes and the pumpkin. Grease a roasting pan with half the butter and line it with some potato slices, pushing them down. Cover with a layer of pumpkin, then a layer of potatoes. Continue the layering until all the slices are used up. Pour any remaining milk and cream over the top, sprinkle on the remaining cheese, and dot with a tablespoon of butter. Place the roasting dish in the oven and bake for about an hour or until golden brown.

Serves 6.

AT FIRST GLANCE THIS recipe may look complicated, but it is simple at heart, with a luxurious finish.

PUMPKIN RISOTTO

300g pumpkin, peeled

optional: sage leaves

Chop the pumpkin into cubes. Preheat a frying pan and add the onion and 1 tablespoon of oil. Fry the pumpkin for 5 minutes to release the natural sugars, then add the milk. Season with salt and pepper, then cook until tender – about 25 minutes. Set aside.

Put the stock into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter melts, add the onion and gently sauté until soft and shiny but without colour. Lower the heat, then add the rice, stirring continuously until all the grains are coated in butter and oil – about 5 minutes. As the rice toasts, it will start to give off delicate nutty and floral aromas. Add the bay leaf and all the simmering stock, stirring well. Cover the saucepan with a lid and cook for 13 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the milk, pumpkin and remaining butter. Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese, pumpkin seeds and sage leaves.

Serves 4.