Makes 6 servings
- 1½ lb chestnuts (see notes)
- 2 large firm baking apples
- 2 oz butter
- 2 quarts low sodium chicken broth
- 1 stick celery, roughly chopped
- 4 oz heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- croutons
Special equipment
- immersion blender
ungreased cast iron frying pan (see notes)
Method
- Roast the chestnuts in the frying pan over medium heat, turning occasionally so that don’t burn. Each chestnut will split when it’s ready to be removed with a spoon to a cutting board to cool. A few laggards won’t split (use them anyway) and you may have one or two that commit suicide by exploding like a kernel of popcorn.
While they cool, core, peel, and slice the apples. Halve the slices, and simmer in the butter in large frying pan over medium heat. Turn occasionally. You want them to only very lightly brown.
When the chestnuts are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to remove the hard shell and inner husk, entering at the split. It is so much easier to do this after the roasting than before like your grandma always complained about. Discard any dry or diseased black portions of the nuts. Halve the larger ones.
Bring the broth, chestnuts, and celery to boil, then turn down to mere simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add apple slices in their butter, and liquidize with the immersion blender until smooth. Season to taste, add cream, and cook for 5 minues.
Serve with crisp, buttery croutons.
Notes
- Recipe is largely based on Jane Grigson’s.
We’ve accounted with extra chestnuts for the ones you’ll munch on while peeling, so go ahead and nibble.↩
You don’t want to use a non-stick frying pan because bringing and keeping it at that high heat will probably release all sorts of nasty chemical vapors. Non-stick frying pans are not designed to be heated half empty.↩
Suggestions
- This can easily be made vegetarian by substituting vegetable stock for the chicken broth.
