Chestnut Soup With Bacon And Chives Food

CHESTNUT SOUP WITH BACON AND CHIVES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon until rendered and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of the fat. In the same saucepan, melt the butter, and add the carrot, celery, leek, and shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat until softened and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add broth and chestnuts to the saucepan. Bring to a simmer, partially cover, and cook until all the ingredients are soft, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, and purée in batches in a blender until very smooth. Return to saucepan, add the cream, and heat thoroughly, adding stock to thin if needed. (A spoon should not leave a trail on the surface of the soup.)
• Season with salt and pepper and ladle into warmed shallow bowls. Garnish with the reserved bacon, a dab of crème fraîche, chives, and a pinch of nutmeg.

CHESTNUT BISQUE WITH CHANTERELLES AND FRESH CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• SOUP: Over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until the bacon has slightly browned and has started to render its fat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook slowly, until soft and translucent. Add the parsnip, potato, chestnuts, thyme, port and red wine and simmer on low heat until it is almost reduced completely. Add the chicken stock and continue to cook until the chestnuts have completely softened, about 30 minutes. Finish with heavy cream, remove the thyme springs and puree in the blender. Strain the soup through a fine sieve and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
• GARNISH: In a large saute pan or nonstick skillet, heat the butter on low. Add the chanterelles, chestnuts, white wine and carrots and cook on low heat until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the chives.
• To serve, place the warm garnish mixture in the center of a warm soup bowl. Sprinkle with celery leaves, and carefully pour the soup around the garnish mixture.

CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• Heat butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onion, celery and carrot and saute a few minutes to begin the cooking process. Sprinkle on the flour and cook a minute or until slightly browned. Add the broth, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Add chestnuts or puree and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes longer.
• Puree in a blender or food processor and return to a saucepan to reheat. If too thin, simmer over low heat, stirring continuously until thickened or if too thick, add more liquid. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add a dash of Madeira and ladle out. Garnish with sour cream and chives if you wish.

BEET SOUP WITH TARRAGON, CHIVES AND YOGURT

Steps:

• Put olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot or deep, wide skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook slowly, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Add beets and season generously with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of cayenne and pour in vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add water and raise heat to a brisk simmer. Taste broth and adjust. Cook for another 10 minutes, until beets are completely soft.
• Purée in a blender, in batches if necessary, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. (Consistency should be like heavy cream, no thicker - thin with water or broth as necessary). Return puréed soup to pot and reheat. In a small bowl, combine yogurt with tarragon and chives. Add a good pinch of salt and beat with a fork to loosen yogurt.
• Taste soup, and adjust for salt and vinegar. Ladle into individual bowls. Swirl a large (2 to 3 tablespoons) spoonful of herbed yogurt across the surface of the soup.

CHESTNUT SOUP WITH BACON - VELOUTé DE CHATAIGNES ET BACON

Steps:

• To make the soup, you simply place all the ingredients, except the crème fraiche or cream, in a large saucepan.
• Season lightly with salt and pepper, bring up to simmering point, then put a lid on and simmer very gently for 45 minutes.
• While that is happening, you can prepare the croutons.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the bacon gently for 5 minutes, then turn the heat up to its highest setting, add the cubes of bread, together with the thyme, and toss them around (keeping them constantly on the move) until they, and the bacon, have turned a deep golden brown colour and become very crisp and crunchy.
• Take them out & leave them to cool on some absorbent kitchen paper.
• As soon as the soup is ready, add the crème fraiche or cream & mix well - allow it to cool slightly, and then transfer it to a blender and purée until smooth. (You may need to do this in more than one batch, in which case, it is a good idea to have a bowl to put the soup in as it is ready.).
• Re-heat the soup in the pan, season to taste and serve in warmed soup bowls, with the croutons, bacon and thyme sprinkled over.

CHESTNUT, BACON & PARSNIP SOUP

Steps:

• Fry the rashers of bacon in the oil until crisp. Scoop out half the bacon and set aside until later. Add the onion and garlic to the pan, stirring until tender, then add the parsnips. Cook for another 5 mins, then crumble in the chicken stock cube. Add the milk, 600ml water, the thyme and chestnuts. Cover and simmer for 30 mins until the parsnip is tender. Blitz with a hand blender, then season to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with the reserved bacon.

CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring the chicken bouillon to a boil over high heat. Add the chestnuts, bacon, fennel, salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat for 40 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat. Discard the bacon.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the chestnuts from the broth and place them in a food processor. Add about 2 cups of the broth and process to a smooth puree. Add additional broth, if needed. Pour the puree back into the saucepan with the remaining broth. Add the goat's milk or yogurt and stir well to combine. Correct the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if desired. Heat gently and serve garnished with fresh fennel sprigs.

CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• Mix purée and stock in a large saucepan, and cook for 30 minutes over medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
• Add nutmeg, cayenne, and cream, and stir well.
• Do not let soup boil once the cream has been added, or it might curdle.
• Serve in mugs, garnished with paprika and parsley.
• TO MAKE PURÉE: If chestnuts are fresh, cut an X in each one and then simmer in water to cover for 15 minutes or roast in the oven 15 to 20 minutes at 375°F.
• Peel chestnuts and purée, adding a bit of the stock if necessary.