Chestnut
One of the very best things about autumn, chestnuts now come vacuum-packed, so you can enjoy their sweetness and texture all year round. Use them for petits monts blancs, roulades and in casseroles with game and other meats.
Serves 8Petits Monts Blancs
A brilliant party dish this, as it's so easy to make - all you need is bought meringue nests and a tin of sweetened chestnut puree, one of Delia's favourite ingredients.
Serves 4Chestnut Soup with Bacon and Thyme Croutons
Ready-cooked chestnuts allow you to make this quck, easy, low-fat soup in no time at all and you'll be well rewarded: the chestnuts add richness and a sweet flavour for a perfect winter soup.
Makes about 14Christmas Easy: Party Cheese Twists
A great way to use up leftover ready-rolled puff pastry, these moreish cheese straws are made in minutes and will go down a storm at a drinks party!
Serves 4Pot-roasted Pheasant with Port and Chestnuts
A superb alternative to turkey at Christmas and throughout the game season, this pheasant dish is crammed with robust flavours and wintry sustenance.
Makes 8Petits Monts Blancs
A brilliant party dish this, as it's so easy to make - all you need is bought meringue nests and a tin of sweetened chestnut puree, one of Delia's favourite ingredients.
Makes enough for a 12-14 lb (5.5-6.5 kg) turkey but would actually be okay for any size of birdEighteenth-century Chestnut Stuffing
This gorgeous stuffing recipe is proof that some of the old ones are the best! If you don't like peeling chestnuts, look out for vacuum-packed ones for speed and ease.
Serves 8Iced Chocolate Chestnut Creams with White Chocolate Sauce
Easy to make, these impressive creams are one way to get ahead at Christmas: make them up to six weeks ahead for hassle-free entertaining.
Serves 4Roast Pheasants with Chestnut Stuffing and Port and Chestnut Sauce
A superb recipe for entertaining, this brings out the full flavour of pheasant, one of Britain's most underrated ingredients to be enjoyed in autumn and winter, during the game season.
Serves 6Pot-roasted Turkey Drumsticks with Port and Chestnuts
Like any slow-cooked dish, this lovely turkey casserole is best made the day before for a stress-free time on Christmas Day. Adding bacon rolls and stuffing gives you all the festive flavours too.
Makes about 14Party Cheese Twists
So, so easy to make, these lovely cheesy morsels are made with ready-rolled puff pastry, which means you can rustle up a batch in no time at all. Great with drinks or at parties...
