Chestnuts.

Around this season, chestnut trees are starting to ripened. I’m not a big fan of chestnuts, but this is the only time that I will eat them.

I think that at this season, chestnuts have a sweeter taste and texture even if they’re just boiled in hot water. There’s also one dish that I eat once a year when my mom cooks it, chicken with chestnuts. It may sound bizarre but because of the chestnut’s sweetness, the chicken and chestnuts flavors interact pretty well and tasty.

My mom will remove the shells and peel the skin off from the chestnuts. After all the hard work of peeling, she will get the chicken prepare for the dish. The procedure to cook the dish is really easy as long you put the effort and time. First, you sautéed the chicken and add some salt too while cooking. Once the chicken is cooked thoroughly halfway, add the chestnuts, and let it cook together for approximately five minutes, depending on the portion size also. Then add water because the chestnuts will absorb all the water, and let the chicken and chestnuts broil for 15-20 minutes more or until the chestnuts are soft. After, try the test to see if it is needed for more seasoning, if so, add some more salt or soy sauce. Then it would be ready to serve.

Of course, it would be nothing like how the restaurants cook it, but I like how the flavors interact together when chestnuts are sweeter and fresher during this season. Even though I’m not a big fan of it, it’s a great homemade dish to enjoy once awhile.