STILL NEW YORK-HUNGRY

41. Christmassy Chestnut Soup

Christmas is always a little difficult for me as I'm alone. No Mom, Dad (and dog) anymore. Sure, I'll visit family in Germany this year, but it's not the same. Since I'm additionally recovering from depression that dragged over a whole year as it could only be treated ambulant as the few clinics were overrun and I not "sick enough" to get a spot, this year it's especially difficult to get in the mood – see also my handle.

BUT: as it indicates, things are beginning to "liven up", and THIS Yum helped along with it.

(Sweet) chestnuts have been one of the many faves of my late dad, who was from Bavaria (the SE-corner of Germany, where Munich is), and LOVED everything from the so-called Alpenküche, which encompasses recipes/dishes from Switzerland, Austria, Italy and the alpine part of Germany.

This soup also comes not with "classical" (bread), but with "pear-y" (literally!), croutons. Okay, I don' t really like pears (different from Dad), but in this dish... Duuuude!

The soup as such is already some of yummiest things I've ever had, but with the toasted, Christmassy-spiced pears on top...


The recipe I've found in Marie Feldt's Suppenliebe (roughly: Loving Soup), which features 70 partly very creative twists on classic soups/stews, some of which I didn't know yet.

On a fictional twist, this is indeed a dish that Nonna Stella and Nonno Aurelio (my stories'/novels' MMC, Vince Romano's grandparents) serve as a starter in the family's restaurant in Manhattan, as especially chestnuts are very fond yums of South Tiroleans in northernmost Italy, where Stella originates from.

But enough babble now.

Let's get cooking, Goodlooking(s)!




Serves: 3 main courses; 4 starters

Prep Time: about 1 hr

Degree of Difficulty: Easy



WE NEED


400 gr / 0.9 lb chestnuts pre-cooked

2 potatoes Recipe says starchy, but you can use (primarily) waxy ones, too. You only have to chop them VERY small then so they are done with the rest of the ingredients.

1-2 red onion(s) Depending on size. I used a BIG red.
1-2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter

2 pinches ground cinnamon. As always, CEYLON, as the (cheaper!) CASSIA contains too much Cumarin which can damage the liver at regular exposure

1 pinch nutmeg

750 ml / 3 US cups chicken stock Used instant, organic and with as little extra chemistry as possible, and veg stock, instead. I suspect the chicken aroma would've pushed away the chestnut one, and with the veg stock it didn't happen. Instant chicken stock has an often very penetrant, artificial chicken taste.

2 pears

1 tbsp walnut oil I guess you can also use a neutral oil, like Canola, but this one added an extra nut aroma which went deliciously with the pears.

1/2 tsp chili flakes

250 ml / 1 US cup cream

salt
pepper



WE DO


1. Peel potatoes, onion(s) + garlic and chop them finely, along with the chestnuts.


2. In a pot, melt oil + butter, and sauté the onion(s) until translucent. Use the oil as it
prevents the butter from burning. Add the chestnuts and braise them lightly, then add potatoes + garlic. Sprinkle a pinch each nutmeg + cinnamon on top, then deglaze with the stock. Bring the soup to a boil, stir, then simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.


3. Peel, quarter, deseed + cut the pears into small pieces. In a pan, SLOWLY heat the walnut oil (temperature-sensitive) Toss the pears for 5 minutes, then season them with chili, salt, pepper + a pinch of cinnamon.





4. Take the soup from the heat and finely blend it. Then stir in the cream.


5. Serve in bowls / deep plates and garnish with the spiced pears.



Guten Hunger!