Creamy Chestnut Soup With Porcini Mushrooms And Sauteed Root Vegetables Recipes

Steps:

• 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.

Steps:

• Cut the onion, carrot, celeriac, potato, fennel, turnip, and artichokes into medium to large chunks. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot, and cook for 5 minutes, and then add the remaining vegetables at 5 minute intervals, adjusting the heat as necessary so the vegetables don't brown. When all the vegetables are soft, add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the soup has come together; it should have a thick consistency. Garnish each bowl with the chile powder and more olive oil.
• This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Steps:

• Combine porcini mushrooms and 3 cups hot water in medium bowl. Let stand until porcini mushrooms soften, about 15 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer porcini mushrooms to heavy large saucepan. Add porcini soaking liquid to saucepan, leaving any sediment behind in bowl. Add vegetable stock and chestnuts to same saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan. Add cream and 1 tablespoon Sherry. Bring soup to simmer. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.)
• Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, carrot and rutabaga; sauté until tender and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon Sherry. Season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Top with vegetables and serve.
• *Porcini mushrooms are available at Italian markets, specialty foods stores and many supermarkets nationwide.

Steps:

• Soak porcini in 2 cups hot water 15 minutes.
• Cook onion in butter with 1 teaspoon salt in a heavy medium pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Add celery, carrot, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer porcini with a slotted spoon to pot and strain soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a large glass measure. Add white mushrooms to pot with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, remaining 6 cups water, and porcini-soaking liquid. Simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes.
• Purée 1 cup vegetables and 1 cup liquid in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then return to pot. Stir in parsley, dill, and salt to taste.

Steps:

• Melt butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, then stir in celery, carrot, and onion. Cover surface of vegetables with a buttered round of wax paper or parchment (buttered side down) and cover pan with lid, then sweat vegetables 15 minutes (to soften).
• Wrap parsley, cloves, and bay leaf in cheesecloth and tie into a bundle with string to make a bouquet garni.
• Discard buttered paper from vegetables, then add broth and bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Add chestnuts and Madeira and simmer, covered, 3 minutes.
• Purée soup in small batches (4 or 5) in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in cream, pepper, and salt to taste and reheat soup over moderate heat, stirring occasionally.

Steps:

• Place the dried porcinis in a bowl or a pyrex measuring cup and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, wipe the fresh mushrooms, trim away the bottoms if they're sandy, break off the stems and set them aside. Set aside the caps in a separate bowl.
• Drain the porcinis through a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over a bowl. Squeeze over the strainer to extract as much flavorful liquid as possible and set aside the broth. Rinse the mushrooms in several changes of water. Measure the mushroom soaking water and add water to make 2 cups.
• In a soup pot or a large saucepan, combine the mushroom soaking liquid, the chicken or vegetable stock, the soaked porcinis, fresh mushroom stems, garlic, tomatoes, and 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer over very low heat for 1 hour. Strain the soup and return to the saucepan. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
• Slice the fresh mushroom caps paper-thin, toss with a couple of drops of lemon juice, and add to the soup pot. Heat through for 5 minutes.
• If garnishing with the garlic croutons, top them with Parmesan and place in a hot oven or toaster until the Parmesan has melted. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each bowl with chopped fresh chives and a crouton or two if desired.

Steps:

• Bring a kettle to the boil, then pour the water over the dried porcini just to cover. Heat half the butter in a saucepan, then gently sizzle the onion, garlic and thyme for 5 mins until softened and starting to brown. Drain the porcini, reserving the juice, then add to the onion with the mixed wild mushrooms. Leave to cook for 5 mins until they go limp.
• Pour over the stock and the reserved juices, bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 mins. Stir in crème fraîche, then simmer for a few mins more. Blitz the soup with a hand blender or liquidiser, pass through a fine sieve, then set aside.
• Heat the remaining butter in a frying pan, fry the bread cubes until golden, then drain on kitchen paper. To serve, heat the soup and froth up with a hand blender, if you like. Ladle the soup into bowls, scatter over the croûtons and chives and drizzle with truffle oil.