Chestnuts are not only good to eat roasted on their own; they also make delicious soup combined with potatoes, cream, and chicken stock and pureed until smooth. Chestnut soup, adapted from the cookbook Bistro by Gerald Hirigoyen, is flavored with onions, celery, salt and pepper to make a simple yet elegant easy appetizers for the holidays. Nutty, delicately sweet, and creamy, this makes an unforgettable dish that will give comfort and delight to your family and guests.
When buying fresh chestnuts for use in easy healthy recipes, choose ones that are hard, unblemished, and shiny and feel heavy for their size. When they are shaken, they should not rattle. Chestnuts are highly perishable and should be roasted as soon as they are purchased. You can keep them inside the refrigerator kept in perforated plastic bags for up to a week. You can also freeze the fresh chestnuts inside an airtight container for up to a month.
To make chestnut soup, first you need to roast the fresh chestnuts in their shells until they are tender. Roasting the chestnuts brings out their natural sweetness. Before roasting the chestnuts, cut an x on the flat side of each of the nut to so that they are easier to open and take faster to cook. The chestnuts will roast in a 400 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or in a 425 degree F oven for up to 15 minutes. You can spread the chestnuts on a baking sheet to cook or use a long handled skillet with a bottom that is perforated, also known as a chestnut pan.
Ingredients: 1 ½ lbs. fresh chestnuts, ½ cup unsalted butter, 2 white onions, chopped, 3 celery stalks, chopped, 1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped, 6 cups chicken stock, 2 cups heavy cream, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Preparation Instructions: 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. With a sharp knife, cut an X on the bottom of each chestnut. Spread the nuts, single layer, on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the nuts feel tender when pressed. Allow cooling until you can touch them, then remove the shells with a sharp knife. Remove the furry skin. Set aside. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onions and celery and sauté over medium heat until golden and tender. Stir in the prepared chestnuts, potato, stock, and cream. Bring to a boil. Add the salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 1 hour, or until thickened. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Bring to a simmer and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if desired.
Alternatively, you can place the chestnuts in a heavy skillet coated with a dash of oil. You can choose to roast the over open fire, in a pan over medium heat or in the oven. When cooked, the shells will curl back and the nut will become soft and tender. The inner brown skin can then be easily removed from the nut.
Source: www.gourmandia.com
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