Chestnut-Apple Soup With Calvados Cream

Ingredients

• 10 pitted prunes
• ¼ cup Calvados or Cognac, more for drizzling
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
• ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 14-ounce jars whole roasted chestnuts
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 2 medium, sweet apples (such as Gala), peeled, cored and cut into inch cubes
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs fresh parsley
• 1 cup heavy cream

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

    473 calories; 19 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 67 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 24 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 54 milligrams cholesterol; 490 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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10 first-course servings

Preparation

1. Place prunes in a small bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let stand 5 minutes; drain. Return prunes to bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons Calvados. Cover with plastic wrap and reserve until ready to use.
2. In a large skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Stir in sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg. Add chestnuts and cook, stirring occasionally to coat chestnuts with butter mixture, until chestnuts are golden and caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons Calvados and cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet, until liquid is mostly evaporated. Remove chestnuts from heat.
3. In a large pot, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the celery, carrots, shallots and leek; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in chestnuts, apples, stock and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Tie thyme and parsley together with kitchen twine and add to pot. Bring mixture to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are very tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove herbs and discard.
5. Purée soup in batches in a food processor or blender (or use an immersion blender). Return soup to pot. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream. Keep soup warm over low heat.
6. With an electric mixer, beat remaining 1/2 cup cream with remaining 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg until cream forms soft peaks.
7. To serve, place a prune in each bowl. Fill each bowl with a ladleful of soup. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and drizzle with Calvados.

1 hour