Peking Dust (Li Zi Fen) Chestnut Dessert

Score each chestnut across its flat side and place in a steamer basket over vigorously boiling water. Steam until completely soft throughout — test by pressing a chestnut between finger and thumb; it must yield without resistance and show no fibrous resistance at the centre. Any remaining hardness will persist through the purée.

Peel the chestnuts while still warm, removing both outer shell and inner skin. Pass the flesh immediately through a fine sieve or ricer into a bowl. Work the purée while the chestnuts are hot — cold flesh will not pass cleanly. The result must be entirely smooth: a single lump breaks the aesthetic of the finished dish. Add the sugar for the purée and the osmanthus syrup, and fold through until uniform. The purée should smell of sweet chestnut and osmanthus together.

Whip the cold double cream with the remaining sugar to soft, billowing peaks — the cream should hold a gentle shape but not stiffen to stiffness. Restrained sweetness is the measure; the cream is a foil, not the subject. Taste: the cream must not overwhelm the chestnut that will sit beneath it.

Divide the chestnut purée between four chilled plates or shallow bowls. Mound each portion high into a domed hill — this form, resembling Beijing's characteristic dusty yellow soil, is the visual identity of the dish. A flat presentation is a failed presentation. Sight confirms the dish: a distinct, self-supporting mound.

Spoon the sweetened whipped cream over the apex of each chestnut mound, allowing it to fall naturally over the sides in a restrained quantity. Scatter glacé fruits across the crown. Serve immediately while the cream is cold against the earthy purée.