Chestnut And Celery Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare the soup. Sweat the onions, celery, leeks and garlic in a small amount of olive oil until soft without browning, for about 5 minutes. Add celery root and sweat for 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add milk and then add water to cover, and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes.
• Puree the milk mixture in a blender with 1 teaspoon olive oil and lemon juice. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
• Prepare the chestnut puree. Saute shallots, garlic, thyme and chestnuts over medium heat for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan by adding the Calvados. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add water and simmer until tender. Puree the mixture in a blender, adding water to adjust consistency.
• To plate (per serving): Pour 5 ounces (5/8 cup) of celery root soup and 1/4 cup of chestnut puree into each bowl. Garnish each bowl with diced celery root, carrots, turnips and roasted chestnuts.

Steps:

• In a kettle cook the onion, the garlic, the bay leaf, and the thyme in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, add the celery and the carrots, and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the chestnuts, the potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, the broth, 2 1/2 cups water, and salt and pepper to taste, simmer the mixture, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chestnuts and the potato are very tender, and discard the bay leaf. In a blender puree the mixture in batches until it is smooth and return it to the kettle. The soup may be prepared 1 day in advance, cooled uncovered, and kept covered and chilled. Heat the soup, stirring, until it is hot and serve it with the sour cream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a small sharp knife or a chestnut knife, carve an "X" in the flat side of each chestnut. Place chestnuts in an even layer, "X" side-down on a baking sheet. Transfer to oven and roast until opened, 10 to 12 minutes. Peel immediately, using a towel if chestnuts are too hot to touch; coarsely chop.
• Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent. Add chestnuts and cook for about 1 minute. Add vegetable stock; bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
• Add molasses, maple syrup, and roasted garlic. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking until chestnuts are soft, about 30 minutes more. Working in batches, carefully transfer to the jar of a blender; blend until smooth.

Steps:

• Melt butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, then stir in celery, carrot, and onion. Cover surface of vegetables with a buttered round of wax paper or parchment (buttered side down) and cover pan with lid, then sweat vegetables 15 minutes (to soften).
• Wrap parsley, cloves, and bay leaf in cheesecloth and tie into a bundle with string to make a bouquet garni.
• Discard buttered paper from vegetables, then add broth and bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Add chestnuts and Madeira and simmer, covered, 3 minutes.
• Purée soup in small batches (4 or 5) in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in cream, pepper, and salt to taste and reheat soup over moderate heat, stirring occasionally.