Roast Chestnut And Wild Rice Soup With Onion Toasts Recipes

Steps:

• Put the wild rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse it under cold running water, swishing the rice with your hands until the water runs clear. Transfer the rice to a medium bowl and add water to cover. Pour off any black bits or floating kernels, and then pour the rice back into the sieve to drain.
• Cook the rices separately: Combine the wild rice with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, reduce the heat to low and steam until the rice is tender and curling into a C shape, 20 to 25 minutes.
• At the same time, combine the basmati rice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 3/4 cups water in another small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, reduce the heat to low, and steam until the rice is tender, 25 minutes.
• Combine the rices in a large bowl and cover tightly.
• Cook the vegetable base: Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are limp but still bright, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme, and cook for 5 minutes.
• Pour the vegetables over the rice, scraping the pan for the juices, and stir to combine. Add the pistachios, chestnuts and parsley and mix thoroughly. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a sharp knife and a kitchen mallet, lightly tap an X into the flat side of each chestnut. Place chestnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet, cut side up. Roast until the shells begin to peel back, about 15 minutes. Cool, peel and set aside.
• In a 6-quart soup pot over low heat, melt butter until it foams. Add onion, and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and shallots; saute 2 more minutes.
• Add chestnuts, wild rice, bay leaves and stock to pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chestnuts are tender, about 15 minutes. Add cream, return to a simmer and remove from heat.
• Add thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Using a blender, puree half of the soup. Return puree to the pot, adjust seasonings, and serve topped with onion toasts.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a paring knife to score an X on each chestnut, place on a cookie tray and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the chestnuts can be easily peeled. Remove the chestnuts from the oven, let cool and peel. Chop roughly and set aside.
• In a soup pot over medium heat, cook the bacon and the butter until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low, add the red onion, carrot and shallots, stir, partially cover the pan and allow the vegetables to cook very slowly, without browning, for 5 minutes. Add the chestnuts, stir well and cook an additional minute. Increase the heat to medium and add the brandy, scraping the pan well, and then add the white wine and vegetable or chicken broth and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Use a food processor or blender to puree the chestnut mixture and then return to low heat. Add the heavy cream and the wild rice. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Steps:

• If you have skinned chestnuts, proceed to step 2. If your chestnuts still have their skins, preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a sharp (preferably curved) paring knife to make an X on their flat sides. Roast them in one layer in a baking pan for 10 to 15 minutes, or until their skins begin to open away from the meat. They will then be easy to peel; remove both outer and inner skins while they are warm. (The peeled chestnuts will cook faster if you chop them roughly, but it isn't necessary.)
• Meanwhile (if you have skinned chestnuts, start here), put the olive oil or butter in a deep skillet or casserole over medium heat. A couple of minutes later, add the celery, onion, and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and the chestnuts, bring to a boil, and partially cover. Adjust the heat so that the mixture simmers and cook until the chestnuts are mushy, about 30 minutes.
• Carefully puree the soup in a blender (if you are not in a hurry, cool it slightly first for extra caution). Measure and add water to make 6 cups of liquid. Reheat, adjust the seasoning if necessary, garnish with celery leaves or parsley, and serve.
• Variations
• I like to elaborate on this soup in two ways, depending on what I've got in the fridge and whether meat eaters are coming to dinner:
• Chestnut Soup with Bacon: Start by rendering 1/4 cup or so of diced slab bacon; scoop out the solids and reserve them for garnish, then sauté the celery and onion in the rendered fat and proceed as directed.
• Chestnut Soup with Shiitakes: Garnish the soup with a cup or so of shiitake mushrooms (caps only), sliced and sautéed in butter or oil until crisp.

Steps:

• Put wild rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse it under cold running water, swishing rice with your hand until water runs clear. Transfer rice to a medium bowl and add water to cover. Pour off any black bits or floating kernels, and then pour rice back into sieve to drain.
• Cook rices separately: Combine wild rice with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low, and steam until rice is tender and curling into a C shape, 20-25 minutes.
• At the same time, combine basmati rice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 13/4 cups water in another small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low, and steam until rice is tender, 25 minutes.
• Combine rices in a large bowl and cover.
• Cook the vegetable base: Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are limp but still bright, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
• Pour over rices, scraping the pan for the juices, and stir to combine. Add pistachios, chestnuts, and parsley and mix thoroughly.