Chestnut Soup

This is an excellent soup. The perfect fall and winter or mid-winter warmer. The recipe comes from a memoir of sorts called The Wood: The Life and Times of Cockshutt Wood by John Lewis-Stempel; who is also the author of Where Poppies Blow. The Wood, gives us insight into the woodlands in remote Herefordshire with just a few recipes scattered throughout, a great nature read. 

  

Chestnut Soup 

-----------------------------------------------

Serves 4

675g chestnuts

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

30g butter

1 sprig rosemary

chicken or game stock

150ml single cream

parsley, finely chopped

Cut crosses in the ends of the chestnuts, place in a pan with enough water to cover and boil for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and when the chestnuts are cool enough to handle, peel, scrape off the papery inner skin, and put them to one side.

Sweat the onion and carrot in the butter until tender.

Add the chestnuts and rosemary and continue sweating over a low - medium heat for 5 minutes. Pour the stock, then simmer for 20 - 30 minutes. Liquidize the soup, then strain into a clean saucepan and add the cream. Bring up to almost boiling and season to taste. Serve with a scattering of chopped parsley on top. 

Notes: We found chestnuts and boiled them only to find our effort derailed, most were rotten inside... so back to the shops we went and fortunately found packaged roasted chestnuts, which we used instead. Although no measurement was stated in regards to the stock we added about 2 pints of chicken stock and that was perfect. 

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. We did! - JD