Chestnut Bisque With Chanterelles And Fresh Chestnuts Recipes

WARM CHESTNUT BISQUE

Steps:

• Place a Dutch oven over low heat. Add the butter and melt. Add the celery, onion and garlic and sweat until tender and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the stock, chestnuts, sherry, heavy cream, bay leaf and thyme, bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the chestnuts are very tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• In the meantime, whisk together the creme fraiche and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl until combined. Set aside for garnish.
• Remove the thyme sprig and bay leaf from the soup. Carefully transfer the soup to a blender and puree on high speed until very smooth (raise the speed of the blender gradually and leave the lid ajar to allow the steam to escape). Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, thinning with more heavy cream as desired and a splash of the sherry. Serve warm, garnished with the spiced creme fraiche.

BOILED CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• In a large pot add enough water to cover the chestnuts and bring to a boil. Add the chestnuts and cook for approximately 45 minutes. Drain the chestnuts and peel off the outer shells.

CHESTNUT MOUSSE

Steps:

• In a food processor puree the chestnuts with enough confectioners' sugar to make it taste sweet. Add enough rum to make it the puree loose enough to fold into whipped cream; season with some instant espresso and vanilla. Chill until serving time.
• Whip the cream and sweeten lightly with confectioner's sugar and chill until serving time.
• Right before serving fold chestnut puree and cream together and transfer to serving glasses; garnish with shavings of bittersweet chocolate.

CHESTNUT AND WILD RICE BISQUE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a paring knife to score an X on each chestnut, place on a cookie tray and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the chestnuts can be easily peeled. Remove the chestnuts from the oven, let cool and peel. Chop roughly and set aside.
• In a soup pot over medium heat, cook the bacon and the butter until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low, add the red onion, carrot and shallots, stir, partially cover the pan and allow the vegetables to cook very slowly, without browning, for 5 minutes. Add the chestnuts, stir well and cook an additional minute. Increase the heat to medium and add the brandy, scraping the pan well, and then add the white wine and vegetable or chicken broth and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Use a food processor or blender to puree the chestnut mixture and then return to low heat. Add the heavy cream and the wild rice. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.

CHESTNUT AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH BISQUE (VEGAN)

Steps:

• Roast chestnuts as follows: cut a shallow X through the skin, place in a covered pan, and bake in the oven at 375 until the nuts are tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes or so, then peel while still warm.
• Clean and cube the squash. Boil in salted water about 10 minutes or until tender. Let cool about 5 minutes, then pull of the peels.
• Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pan. Add onion, carrot, and celery, then season with salt and pepper. Cook about 3 minutes. Add the chestnuts, cover with broth and simmer gently until vegetables and chestnuts are quite soft. Add more broth, if necessary.
• Blend the mixture with an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender or food processor, to make a puree. Return to the pot and gently reheat. Add the soy milk and parsley. Do not boil. Serve with good French bread and salad.

CHANTERELLES WITH CHESTNUTS AND PEARL ONIONS

Steps:

• Using a small, sharp knife, cut an X in the rounded side of each chestnut. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) water to a boil. Add the chestnuts. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the nuts are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the chestnuts and, while they are still hot, remove both the hard outer shell and the thin, brown inner skin.
• Using a small, sharp, knife, carefully trim away the roots from the onions without cutting into the ends. Cut a shallow cross into the stem end of each onion to prevent it from telescoping during cooking. In a saucepan over high heat, combine the onions with water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until barely tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain, let cool slightly, and then slip off the peels. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• If the mushrooms are small, leave them whole; if they are large, slice them thickly. In a large sauté pan over high heat, melt half of the butter. Add half of the mushrooms and sauté until softened, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining butter and mushrooms and add to the bowl.
• Add the cooked chestnuts and onions and the chopped thyme to the mushrooms. Pour in enough broth to moisten the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking dish. Bake until heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve right away.
• About chanterelles
• The most common chanterelles are golden and trumpet shaped and have a subtle apricot taste. Other members of the chanterelle family include white, red, and yellow foot chanterelles and the black trumpet mushroom. At the market, select chanterelles with firm, fleshy caps and no sign of dampness.

CHESTNUT BISQUE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add carrots, onion, and celery, and saute until soft, about 7 minutes.
• Add chestnuts and continue cooking 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add stock and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to simmer and add apple juice, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Simmer 15 minutes.
• Add tarragon and continue cooking 5 minutes.
• Puree the soup in a blender.
• Return to saucepan and reheat.
• Adjust seasonings as needed.
• Serve with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, if desired.