When the first cold evenings reach the Rhine valley, the chestnut roasters appear. In Liechtenstein they set up on town squares in Schaan and at the winter markets and gatherings in Vaduz, where a paper cone of hot Marroni and a cup of mulled wine are the standard equipment for standing about in the cold. The chestnuts come up from Italy, the Swiss spelling with two r's is the local one, and the smell of them, sweet and slightly smoky, does more for a winter street than any amount of fairy lights.

A roasted chestnut is a modest thing done well. The shell is cut so steam can escape, the nut is roasted hot until the cut curls open, and then, crucially, the chestnuts are wrapped up for a few minutes so the steam loosens the papery inner skin. Done right, they peel in two moves and taste of baked sweet potato and toasted nuts. Done wrong, they shatter, stick and leave you picking at them like a disappointed squirrel.

At home, a hot oven and a wet towel get you remarkably close to the street version. They make a perfect thing to pass around through a late season race weekend, or on any evening that calls for warm hands.

Scoring and soaking

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) fresh sweet chestnuts
• enough to cover warm water

Method

1. Tip the chestnuts into the large bowl, cover with water and swish them around. Throw away any that float, any with tiny holes and any that feel light or hollow when you squeeze them; these are usually dried out or moldy inside.
2. Dry each chestnut and lay it on the folded towel with its flat side down and its rounded side up. Holding it firmly at the sides, cut a long slit about 1 inch (2.5 cm) across the rounded side, or a cross, going through the hard shell and the thin skin beneath, just into the nut.
3. Put the scored chestnuts back into a bowl of warm water and soak for 10 to 15 minutes while the oven heats. The water they absorb turns to steam inside the shell and helps them cook evenly and peel easily.

Roasting and serving

Ingredients

• a pinch flaky salt
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) butter, melted

Method

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the middle. Drain the chestnuts, shake off the excess water and spread them cut side up in a single layer on the baking sheet.
2. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the tray once halfway through. They are ready when the cuts have curled back to show the golden nut. If you have a perforated chestnut pan, you can instead roast them over a medium gas flame or on a hot grill for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking often.
3. Tip the hot chestnuts into the middle of the damp towel, wrap them up into a bundle and leave them for 5 minutes. This short rest loosens the thin, bitter inner skin from the nut.
4. Roll sheets of paper into cones and fold the bottom tip over so nothing falls out. Fill each cone with chestnuts while they are still hot. To eat, squeeze a chestnut gently so the shell cracks further, then peel away the shell and the inner skin together. Toss peeled ones with a little melted butter and salt if you like.

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