Chestnut Mushroom Soup Food

CHESTNUT-MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a paring knife, make an incision in each chestnut about 1/8-inch deep through the shell and into the flesh, cutting almost all the way around nut. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until chestnuts are tender when pierced with the paring knife, about 35 minutes. Turn off oven. Leaving sheet in oven, remove several chestnuts at a time. Working quickly, place each chestnut in a kitchen towel, and remove and discard shell and inner skin.
• Roughly chop all but 2 cremini and 2 shiitake mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon butter with olive oil in a small stockpot over medium-high heat. Add chopped mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and thyme sprigs. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add all but 4 peeled chestnuts, and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add stock and the water, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until chestnuts are falling-apart tender, about 1 hour. Remove and discard thyme sprigs, and let soup cool slightly.
• Pass soup through a fine sieve into a bowl; transfer solids in batches to a food processor or blender, and puree until completely smooth. Add strained liquid, and process 1 minute. Return soup to stockpot, and season with salt and pepper.
• Cut the remaining 4 chestnuts and 4 mushrooms into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Melt remaining tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Saute sliced chestnuts and mushrooms until crisp and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Just before serving, heat soup over low. Stir in cream, and remove from heat. Ladle soup into shallow bowls; garnish with sauteed chestnuts and mushrooms and the thyme leaves.

CREAMY CHESTNUT SOUP WITH PORCINI MUSHROOMS AND SAUTEED ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Combine porcini mushrooms and 2 cups hot water in medium bowl. Let stand until porcini mushrooms, soften, about 15 minutes.
• In a saucepan melt butter and add carrots, celery, parsnips and shallots. Saute until tender. Add bouquet garni and chicken stock.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer porcini mushrooms into saucepan with chicken broth. Add porcini-soaking liquid to saucepan, leaving sediment behind in bowl. Add chestnuts and salt and pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth, return soup to saucepan. Add Sherry. Bring soup to simmer, correct seasonings adding salt and pepper, to taste. Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly and refrigerate. Re-warm over medium heat before continuing.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Top with vegetables, and garnish with leeks.

CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• Trim the top off the leek, slice it lengthwise and chop it roughly. Soak the leek briefly in water to remove sand and grit, then drain. Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat, and butter and sweat celery and leeks in the butter until very soft DO NOT BROWN. Add the roasted chestnuts and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. If you are using frozen chestnuts, simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or until the starch begins to develop and the soup begins to thicken. If fresh chestnuts are used, simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until the starch begins to develop and you can easily crush the nuts against the side of the pot with a spoon. Turn off heat and allow the soup to cool slightly, otherwise the stream from the hot soup may cause the blender to malfunction. Pour the soup into a blender (or use an immersion blender right in the pot) blend until there are no longer any large pieces of chestnut, celery and leeks and the soup is somewhat smooth. Very small pieces of chestnut should remain. Return soup to pot and bring to a simmer again, add the cream and the port. Reduce until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the soup becomes too thick, adjust the consistency by adding a bit of water. The soup should be stirred well before serving, if it is in a thermos, shake it very well before pouring into bowls.

CHESTNUT AND MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and leek. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened. Deglaze with brandy, if using, or 3 tablespoons warm water (pour in the liquor or water and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon).
• If you are using vacuum-packed or jarred chestnuts, pat them dry with paper towels. Add the chestnuts to the pot and cook for 4 minutes, stirring gently from time to time, until the chestnuts are lightly golden.
• Reserve two mushrooms for garnish. Slice the remaining mushrooms and add them to the pot. Add the chilli powder if desired. Pour in the stock and season with salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
• Let the soup cool for a few minutes. Puree the soup using an immersion blender, until the soup is smooth with just a few remaining chunks. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, taste, and adjust the seasoning. (The soup can be made a day ahead up to this point). Reheat and ladle into bowls. Cut the reserved mushrooms in slices, and chop the parsley leaves roughly. Plop a mushroom slice on the surface of each bowl, sprinkle with parsley and a touch of freshly ground pepper, and serve.

CHESTNUT MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a chestnut knife or a small paring knife, make an incision about 1/8 inch deep through the shell and into the flesh of each chestnut almost all the way around the circumference. Transfer to a chestnut pan or rimmed baking pan. Roast in the oven until the chestnuts are tender, about 35 minutes. Turn the oven off. Leaving the pan with the chestnuts in the oven, remove several at a time. Working quickly, place 1 chestnut in a towel, and, holding both, peel the chestnut while still hot. Remove and discard the shells and inner skin; set aside.
• Roughly chop all but 2 cremini and 2 shiitake mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter with the olive oil in a small stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Cook the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme sprigs. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add all but 4 chestnuts, and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and water, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until the chestnuts are falling-apart tender, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs, and let stand about 10 minutes.
• Let the soup cool slightly. Pass the soup through a sieve, and transfer the solids, reserving the liquid, to a food processor or blender. Puree, in batches, until very smooth. Add the reserved liquid, and process for 1 minute. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Transfer to the stockpot, stir in the cream, and place over low heat until hot.
• Cut the 4 reserved chestnuts and the 4 reserved mushrooms into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Melt the remaining tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chestnuts and mushrooms, and cook until crisp and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Divide the soup among soup bowls, and garnish with sautéed chestnuts, mushrooms, and thyme leaves.

CREAMY CHESTNUT-MUSHROOM SOUP WITH SAUTEED ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Combine porcini mushrooms and 3 cups hot water in medium bowl. Let stand until porcini mushrooms soften, about 15 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer porcini mushrooms to heavy large saucepan. Add porcini soaking liquid to saucepan, leaving any sediment behind in bowl. Add vegetable stock and chestnuts to same saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan. Add cream and 1 tablespoon Sherry. Bring soup to simmer. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.)
• Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, carrot and rutabaga; sauté until tender and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon Sherry. Season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Top with vegetables and serve.
• *Porcini mushrooms are available at Italian markets, specialty foods stores and many supermarkets nationwide.

MUSHROOM & CHESTNUT ROTOLO

Steps:

• Soak the dried mushrooms in 350ml boiling water and set aside until needed. Blitz ¾ of the chestnuts with 150ml water until creamy. Roughly chop the remaining chestnuts.
• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Fry the shallots with a pinch of salt until softened, then add the garlic, chopped chestnuts and rosemary, and fry for 2 mins more. Add the wild mushrooms, 2 tbsp oil and some seasoning. Cook for 3 mins until they begin to soften. Drain and roughly chop the dried mushrooms (reserve the soaking liquid), then add those too, along with the soy sauce, and fry for 2 mins more.
• Whisk the wine, reserved mushroom liquid and chestnut cream together to create a sauce. Season, then add half to the mushroom mixture in the pan and cook for 1 min until the sauce becomes glossy. Remove and discard the rosemary sprigs, then set the mixture aside.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and get a large bowl of ice water ready. Drop the lasagne sheets into the boiling water for 2 mins or until pliable and a little cooked, then immediately plunge them into the cold water. Using your fingers, carefully separate the sheets and transfer to a clean tea towel. Spread a good spoonful of the sauce on the bottom two thirds of each sheet, then, rolling away from yourself, roll up the shorter ends. Cut each roll in half, then position the rolls of pasta cut-side up in a pie dish that you are happy to serve from at the table. If you have any mushroom sauce remaining after you've rolled up all the sheets, simply push it into some of the exposed rolls of pasta.
• Pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the pasta, then bake for 10 mins or until the pasta no longer has any resistance when tested with a skewer.
• Meanwhile, put the breadcrumbs, the last 2 tbsp olive oil, sage leaves and some seasoning in a bowl, and toss everything together. Scatter the rotolo with the crumbs and sage, then bake for another 10 mins, until the top is golden and the sage leaves are crispy. Leave to cool for 10 mins to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce, then drizzle with a little truffle oil, if you like, before taking your dish to the table.