French Smooth Chestnut Soup for Holidays

This is a French potage. Original recipe from ''The Cook's Companion".

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  potato, diced
• 1  stalk celery, finely sliced
• 1  onion, finely chopped
• 2  cloves garlic, sliced
• 40  g unsalted butter
• 1  kg chestnuts, peeled (yield will be half a kilo)
• 1  liter  chicken stock
• 100  m creme fraiche
•  sea salt
•  fresh ground black pepper
• 1  tablespoon armagnac or 1  tablespoon  amontillado sherry wine
•  freshly ground young parsley

Directions

1. On low heat, sweat the potato, celery, onion and garlic in butter in a heavy based pot for 5 minutes.
2. Add the chestnuts, stock and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes until the nuts and vegetables are tender.
3. Strain through a colander into a bowl and puree the solids in a food processor.
4. Return the liquid to the solids while holding back about 1 cup in case the soup is too liquid for your taste.
5. Strain back into the pot.
6. Add the creme fraiche for extra tang and simmer the soup for 15 minutes to allow it to reduce slightly.
7. Season to taste.
8. Before serving, add the liquor to the hot soup.
9. Garnish with choppsed parsley.
10. The French would add a little shredded duck confit warmed in the alcohol into each bowl just right before serving.