Chestnut Soup Recipe
Chestnut Soup Recipe with Chestnuts, Stock, Cream, Butter, Sugar and Mace.
INGREDIENTS
1 lb (450g) Chestnuts
2 pints (1.2 litre) Vegetable Stock
4 tablespoons Cream
1 oz (25g) Butter
1/4 teaspoon White Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Castor Sugar
A Blade of Mace
METHOD
Cut the ends off the chestnuts, and roast them in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes, until the outer and inner skins will peel off easily. Remove all the skins and then put the chestnuts in a saucepan with the vegetable stock, white pepper, salt, pepper, mace and castor sugar. Simmer all together for 1 hour or longer, until the chestnuts are quite tender.
When they are cooked, take out the blade of mace, and rub the chestnuts through a fine sieve (or blend), moistening with a little of the stock. Rinse out the saucepan, and return the chestnut puree and stock to it. Add the cream, and stir well until it boils, adding more seasoning if required. Simmer gently for 20 minutes until it is quite smooth, and it should then be of a consistency of thin cream, but if too thick add a little milk or stock. Serve hot with toast.
Based on the Chestnut Soup recipe in:
Cookery Illustrated & Household Management
by Elizabeth Craig (Odhams Press 1936).