Picone's Chestnut Soup

[pixelchef]

Picone's Chestnut Soup

This is Chef Mark Picone's velvet chestnut soup. This recipe has gone through many changes over the years since he first gave it to a friend of mine, but this initial recipe you see here is what totally him away. Enjoy!

• 1/2 lb of chestnuts(fresh or dried - if dried, soak overnight covered in fridge)
  
• 1 small onion, chopped
  
• 1 parsnip, chopped
  
• 1 celery root, chopped
  
• 1 apple, chopped
  
• 1 carrot, chopped
  
• 1 l of vegetable stock
  

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

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Seasoning(lemon zest, Kosher salt, and white pepper in 1,1,1 ratio)

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Heavy cream

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1. Simmer chestnuts until soft, then remove from heat and strain.

2. While the chestnuts are cooking, saute the vegetables in a pot, in the EVOO until soft, NOT browned.

3. When the vegetables are completely cooked, add to them, the vegetable stock and 3/4 of the chestnuts and simmer for 15mins.

4. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender and pass it through a sieve.

5. Roughly chop the remaining 1/4 of the chestnuts and add them to the soup.

6. Add the "seasoning" to taste.

7. Add heavy cream to desired "velvety" consistency.

8. Garnish the soup by floating a drizzle of EVOO and a few drops of honey on top of the finished soup just before service.

Keywords: Soup, Intermediate, Vegetables, Italian, Food Processor, Blender

( RG399 )