chestnut soup

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 pounds chestnuts, peeled
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 sprigs fresh parsley
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 teaspoon white sugar
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

Recipe

• to cook chestnuts: with a sharp knife, slice an 'x' across each chestnut. place chestnuts in a single layer on a jelly roll pan. pour 1/4 cup water into the pan. bake in a preheated 450 degrees f (230 degrees c) oven for 10 minutes. when cool enough to handle, shell and peel.
• in a large saucepan combine the chicken stock, shelled chestnuts and chopped onions. place the parsley sprigs, cloves and bay leaf in a spice bag and add to the chicken stock mixture. simmer over medium-low heat for 45 minutes.
• discard the spice bag and puree the chestnut mixture in a food processor or blender. add the heavy cream, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. return mixture to saucepan and gently heat through. to serve to with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream, a bit of chopped parsley and some cooked chopped chestnuts just before serving. high quality vegetable broth can be substituted for the chicken broth.