Chestnuts

Know this

Pick the heavy ones. A fresh chestnut is glossy, firm and dense in the hand; one that rattles in its shell has dried out and one with a pinhole has a worm. Most of what you will find is Italian or Chinese, because the blight wiped out the American chestnut a century ago and the orchards are only now coming back. Keep them cold and use them inside a week or two, because they are a fresh fruit, not a nut that keeps. Chef secret: cut the X deep, right through the shell on the domed side, and peel them hot in a towel. The papery skin underneath welds itself to the kernel the moment they cool, and a cold chestnut is a lost chestnut.

Cook

Roast at 425°F for twenty to twenty-five minutes until the shells curl back, or simmer scored nuts for fifteen minutes if they are going into stuffing or soup. Peeled and crumbled over Brussels sprouts with bacon is the whole holiday in one pan.

Season

October through December, and short. If you see good ones, buy them that day.

Best pairings

Brussels sprouts · Sausage · Sage · Honey · Chocolate · Cream

Also worth trying: apple, bacon, mushroom, vanilla, rosemary, pear.

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