Ingredients
Serves 4-6500gr fresh chestnuts
4 large cloves garlic, unpeeled
1tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 small celeriac, peeled and finely chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Sea salt and white pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Method
Preheat the oven to 240ºC. Cut an "x" in the shell of each chestnut with a sharp knife (it is vital that you make this cut as the chestnuts will explode otherwise). Arrange the chestnuts on a baking tray with the unpeeled garlic cloves. Roast for 20 minutes, until the outer shell has pulled slightly away from the chestnut and the shell and the inner skin peel away easily.
Remove the outer shell and inner skin of each chestnut and place them in a bowl. Work quickly while the chestnuts are still hot (hold them with a kitchen towel if they are too hot to touch). Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the garlic cloves and add it to the bowl with the chestnuts. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, fresh thyme, and bay leaves. Fry, stirring often, until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the chestnuts and garlic and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves and let the soup cool slightly. Using a stick blender purée until the soup is completely smooth (or transfer to a blender in batches and purée). Pour the soup into a clean saucepan and add the salt, nutmeg, and white pepper. Warm over medium heat, stirring.
Notes:
Chestnuts are in season at the moment and are making an appearance in supermarkets which is quite new. It is important to buy chestnuts that are shiny, a deep mahogany brown colour and quite heavy as this indicates that they are fresh. They dry out very quickly after picking, losing weight and flavour. They should be stored in a bag in the crisper section of the fridge. In years gone by, the only way to buy them would have been in jars or as tinned puree imported generally from Europe.
They can be quite hard to peel which has led to many growers re-grafting their trees to easier peeling varieties.
Chestnuts have a nutty flavour which can be likened in taste and texture to sweet potato. They can be blanched for some recipes (including this soup), however roasting or grilling will produce the smoky flavour for which they are loved in other parts of the world. They are a versatile fruit (not a nut at all!) which can be used in both savoury and sweet recipes. They have no cholesterol, are low in fat and have a protein content very similar to that of an egg