Vercors-style chestnut velouté: perfect for this chilly weather

Emmanuel de Careil wears a coat of many colors. He writes books about everything from psychology to history, and is also a foodie who has collected stacks of good recipes over the years. He just published this very wintry recipe, inspired by the great French chef Guy Savoy, and I thought it the perfect time of the year to make it.

Just for information, Vercors is a wild region in southeast France, which includes the Drôme with its low mountainous terrain, known for its chestnuts.

This is my take on the recipe.

Recipe for chestnut velouté, based on Guy Savoy’s recipe

This recipe should feed about four people.

Ingredients for soup

300 grams of chestnuts (cooked at home, frozen, vacuum-packed or tinned)
40 grams of butter
10 centiliters of Chartreuse, an herbal-flavored liqueur found in France
1 bouquet garni
1.5 liters of chicken broth
50 centiliters of liquid cream
2 fresh chestnuts, shelled
2 pinches of cardamom
Salt and pepper to taste

Garniture

Preparation

Finely dice garniture ingredients.

Cut the 300 grams of cooked chestnuts into thin slices.

Melt half of the butter (20 grams) in a saucepan. Sauté the garniture in it. Add sliced chestnuts and sauté for a few more minutes.

Deglaze with the 10 centiliters of Chartreuse (or other similar liqueur), then flambé it.

Add 1.5 liters of seasoned chicken broth and the bouquet garni. Salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer over low heat for one and one half hours.

Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

In a frying pan, cut the two fresh chestnuts into extra-fine “shavings”, like one does with Parmesan cheese. Heat the remaining 20 grams of butter until it starts to foam. Add chestnut shavings. Sauté until the shavings are crispy but not too dark in color. Set aside.

Whip the 30 centiliters of whipping cream. Add cardamon. Set aside.

This can all be made ahead of time, and be ready for serving immediately after the apéritif.

To serve

Put a large dollop of the cardamom cream, about the size of a dumpling, into each serving bowl, along with a few chestnut chips.

Pour hot chestnut soup over it and serve.

What a delight in the cold of winter! And what a delicious smell it leaves in the house, like the smell of chestnuts roasting on an open fire.