Food & Drink FOOD & DRINK W
e have 4 sweet chestnut trees in our garden so in years like this when everything is fruiting so abundantly there have
been plenty to go round between us and the squirrels. Inside their needle sharp carapace, there are 3 chestnuts but usually only one fat enough to bother with. I find rubbing them on the ground beneath a booted foot is the easiest and most pain-free method of getting them out of the needles. You can peel the shell off with your thumb nails and eat the nut raw but make sure you peel off the pith or it can be incredibly tannic instead of sweet and crunchy. Equally you can make a cut in the shells and put them in a roasting tin in a hot oven – 200C – leaving one nut uncut so when this one bursts open you know the rest are cooked. Peel when cool enough to handle. Alternatively go all festive and Bing Crosby on your friends and roast them on an open fire.
If you don’t want to spend ages peeling chestnuts, you can easily buy them ready prepared in tins or vacuum packed, as puree or as chestnut flour. Even though we call them nuts, they are dissimilar to almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts et al in that they have a very low fat content – about 2% compared to over 50% for regular nuts. They also have a very high
With its delightful views over Dartmouth’s harbour, Taylor’s is one of the towns best kept secrets. Est. for over 10 years, with sparking chandeliers, leather seats & some gorgeous artwork for a relaxed dining experience.
Taylor’s Restaurant
*Christmas menus are available for that special Christmas event, whether with family, friends or work colleagues: 1 course £12.95 (lunchtimes only), 2 courses £16.95 and 3 courses £19.95* **New Year’s Eve at Taylor’s: Celebrate in style at £65 p.p.**
*Our a la carte menu features a wide selection of fresh fish and shellfish as well as steaks, rack of Lamb & Duck* *See our reviews on Tripadvisor* *Open for lunches Tuesday to Saturday. Dinners Thursdays to Saturdays* *Parties for up to 70 and private function rooms for up to 45 available*
8 The Quay, Dartmouth, TQ6 9PS 01803 832748
www.taylorsrestaurant.co.uk
Please mention By The Dart when responding to adverts. To advertise here, please call 01803 835740 or email
mark@bythedart.co.uk
Manna from Devon 01803 752943
www.mannafromdevon.com Holly Jones from the Manna from Devon Cooking School writes
CHESTNUTS are one of the great ingredients of the Christmas season. As we have had such a glut this year, I
though I’d take a closer look at what to do with them.
...known as the bread tree as you can use the flour to successfully make breads, polenta, biscuits and cakes
Vitamin C and carbohydrate content – over 40% - so are known as the bread tree as you can use the flour to successfully make breads, polenta, biscuits and cakes as well as using it to thicken soups and stews. Its added bonus is that it is gluten free. Chestnut flour comes from mountainous areas in France and Italy where traditionally it would have been substituted for wheat and used extensively in cooking as it was so difficult to grow cereals in these highlands. Demand is high and the volume produced is low so it can be quite expensive but it gives a great nutty flavour and goes well in chocolate cakes maybe with a little orange or lemon to cut through the richness. Tinned or vacuum packed chestnuts
are great to have in your cupboard as it takes all the hard work out of getting them ready especially when time is tight. Chop them up quite finely and put them in the stuffing for the turkey maybe with a few snipped up apricots or mix them with the filling for sausage rolls along with some finely chopped fresh sage. Also cook them with your sprouts and some bacon lardons and chopping them up in pumpkin soup is really good. Tinned chestnut purée is one of those things that can sit in your cupboard for years
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