Wood-Fired Roasted Chestnuts

Roasting chestnuts in a pizza oven is one of autumn's great pleasures - the wood smoke adds a depth of flavour you simply can't replicate in a kitchen oven. You need a perforated pan (or an old frying pan with holes drilled in it) so the smoke and heat can reach the chestnuts directly. The scoring is essential: without a cut in each one, the steam builds up inside and they explode, which is dramatic but wasteful. Score them well, roast them on the embers, and serve them warm in a paper bag or wrapped in a tea towel. It's as simple as cooking gets.

Ingredients

• 500g fresh chestnuts
• A perforated roasting pan (or a cast-iron pan with holes)

Method

1. Light your pizza oven with 4-5 thin kindling sticks and paper. Once the fire is established, add two larger logs and let them burn down to glowing embers. You want the oven at around 200-220°C.
2. While the embers form, sort through the chestnuts and discard any with holes, cracks, or soft spots - these have gone off.
3. Using a sharp serrated knife, score each chestnut with a deep cross-shaped cut on the flat side, cutting about 3-4mm into the flesh. This is the most important step - it stops them exploding and lets you peel them easily later.
4. Spread the embers across the oven floor. Place the scored chestnuts on the perforated pan and set it directly on the embers.
5. Roast for 20-30 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. The timing depends on the size of the chestnuts and how many embers you have. Keep a small fire burning at the side of the oven if you need more heat.
6. The chestnuts are done when the shells have curled back from the cuts and the flesh inside is tender when squeezed (careful - they're hot). Wrap in a tea towel for 5 minutes to steam slightly, which makes peeling easier.