Silky Chestnut Soup with Thyme and Pancetta
Time & Yield
Time: 3 Hours
Yield: 8-10 servings
Ingredients
3 lb. fresh chestnuts
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
4 medium leeks (white and light-green parts only), minced (Click here for how to prep leeks)
1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme, divided; plus more for garnish
10 cups chicken broth
Kosher salt
2-4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips
Recipe
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400°F.
In a medium bowl, cover the chestnuts (3 lb.) with warm water and soak for 25 minutes.
Drain the bowl and dry the chestnuts with paper towels. Score an X into the flat side of each chestnut, cutting all the way through the shell. Put them flat sides up on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until the Xs curl back into a crown shape, and they are tender when squeezed, about 30 minutes.
Peel while still warm, removing both the shell and the inner skin. If a shell resists peeling, spoon out the nutmeat instead. Roughly chop the chestnut meat and set aside in a medium bowl. This will be difficult and time consuming (see the note below).
In a large pot, melt the butter (2 tbsp) with olive oil (2 tbsp) over medium-low heat. Add the minced leeks (4 medium) and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the chestnuts and fresh thyme (1 tbsp); cook until fragrant, about 1-3 minutes. Add the broth (10 cups) and a pinch of salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chestnuts are extremely tender, about 30 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Let cool briefly.
Working in batches, purée the soup in a regular blender. Strain the soup through a sieve into a clean medium-to-large pot. Set the soup back over medium-low heat and gently reheat. Season to taste.
Meanwhile, in an 8-inch nonstick skillet, heat the remaining olive oil (1 tbsp) over medium heat. Add the cut prosciutto (2-4oz) and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining thyme (1/2 tbsp) and cook 30 seconds more. Drain the prosciutto on a plate lined with paper towels.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the prosciutto and additional thyme leaves.
Notes
Chestnuts are typically only in mainstream grocery stores in Nov - Dec, but can be found year-round in Asian supermarkets
Peeling chestnuts sucks. It’s terrible - its time consuming, tedious, and your fingers will burn/hurt trying to get all the goodness inside the shells. There are lots of methods (some here) that help, but on the whole that is the part of this that takes the longest to do.
The soup did well simmering/on a back burner for a couple of hours, the flavors melded and the soup thickened, it just needed some extra stock/water added to maintain the desired consistency
Source: Fine Cooking