Chef Daniel Bouloud's Recipe Index

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Chestnut, Celery Root and Apple Soup

Daniel Boulud's Caf Boulud Cookbook
Daniel Boulud and Dorie Greenspan, Scribner 1999.

Makes 4 servings

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 medium leek, white part only, trimmed, thinly sliced, washed and dried
• 2 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and cut into -inch cubes
• 10 ounces celery root, peeled and cut into -inch cubes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig thyme
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper
• pound peeled fresh chestnuts from 1 pounds chestnuts in shells, or 3/4 pound dry-packed bottled or vacuum-sealed peeled fresh chestnuts
• 2 quarts homemade unsalted chicken stock or storebought low-sodium chicken broth
• cup heavy cream

1) Heat the oil in a stockpot or large casserole over medium heat.  Add the onion, leek, apples, celery root, bay leaf, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the onions and leeks are soft but not colored.  Add the chestnuts and chicken stock and bring to the boil.  Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, skimming the surface regularly, 35 to 40 minutes, or until the chestnuts can be mashed easily with a fork. Add the heavy cream and simmer 5 to 10 minutes more, then discard the bay leaf and thyme.

2) Pure the soup until smooth using a blender, food processor or hand-held immersion blender, then pass it through a fine-mesh strainer.  At this point, you should have about 2 quarts of soup.  If you have more, or if you think the soup is too thin - the soup should have the consistency of a veloute or light cream soup - simmer it over medium heat until thickened.  Taste and, if necessary, adjust the seasoning.  (The soup can be cooled completely and stored in a covered jar in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or frozen for up to a month.  Bring the soup back to a boil before serving.)

To serve:  Reheat the soup, if necessary - the soup really needs to be hot - and ladle it into warm bowls.