Chestnut velouté
Serves: 10 (small cups)
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Toby Scott
Chestnut velouté
Serves: 10 (small cups)
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
270Kcal
Fat
20gr
Saturates
10gr
Carbs
15gr
Sugars
5gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
5gr
Salt
0.4gr
Debora Robertson
Debora Robertson is a food writer, editor, and an inveterate kitchen botherer. She lives in London, where she is always on the hunt for new things to eat, blogs at Love and a Licked Spoon
See more of Debora Robertson’s recipes
Debora Robertson
Debora Robertson is a food writer, editor, and an inveterate kitchen botherer. She lives in London, where she is always on the hunt for new things to eat, blogs at Love and a Licked Spoon
See more of Debora Robertson’s recipes
Ingredients
- 20g butter
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 celery stick, finely diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 tbsp dry sherry
- 2 x 180g packs of peeled, cooked chestnuts
- 500ml hot fresh chicken stock
- 250ml whole milk
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 150ml double cream
To finish
- 50ml double cream
- a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil or truffle oil
- 4 slices streaky bacon, cooked, cooled and crumbled
- 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
Step by step
Get ahead
Make this a couple of days ahead; cool, seal and store in the fridge. Reheat gently – don't boil. To freeze, make up to the end of step 3, cool, then freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost thoroughly and finish the recipe from step 4.
- Heat the butter in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat and, when it stops foaming, tip in the onion, celery, bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Sauté gently, stirring from time to time, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Pour in the sherry, increase the heat to medium and simmer until it has almost completely evaporated.
- Add the chestnuts, stir, then add the stock, milk and nutmeg; season. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and let it gently bubble away, partially covered, for 20 minutes until the chestnuts are very tender. Remove the bay leaf.
- Cool slightly and purée in a food processor or blender, or with a stick blender, until smooth.
- Return to the pan, add the cream and warm gently. Don't let it boil. Season to taste.
- Ladle into small cups, drizzle a teaspoon of cream and a little oil over each, then top with some bacon and chives.
