Canal Boat — February 2018

canalboat.co.uk Canal Boat February 2018 81

T

his dish started out

as an attempt at a

‘posh’ dinner party

starter but has

become a favourite winter

lunch. It is quick, easy and

tastes quite indulgent but by

swapping double cream for

low fat crème fraiche, it’s not

too naughty for those of us on

a post-Christmas diet.

I am too lazy to cook and

peel chestnuts so tend to buy

the vac-packed ones from the

supermarket. The hardest bit

is not eating them as you get

the rest of the dish ready.

Mind you, this is so simple

to put together but definitely

tastes like you’ve been slaving

over the hob for hours –

which is a winning

combination for any chef.

Soups need a bit of texture

in my opinion – who doesn’t

like a crispy crouton? This

soup uses a pangritata to add

extra flavour and crunch. It is

known as ‘poor man’s

Parmesan’ in Italy, as many

peasant families could not

afford the luxury of Parmesan

cheese. By frying up stale

bread with herbs and garlic

they added a savoury element

and a wonderful crunch to

pasta dishes and, as here,

thick soups. In fact, there isn’t

much that can’t be improved

with a sprinkle of crispy

pangritata!

A warming and indulgent soup that makes a great quick lunch or

a fancy dinner party starter

Chestnut soup with poor man’s Parmesan

CHESTNUT SOUP

SERVES 4

Victoria Holtam COOKING :BACK CABIN



Ingredients:

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 litre of chicken or veg stock

200g of pre-cooked

chestnuts

100g of low fat crème-

fraiche (or double cream!)

For the topping:

A couple of slices of bread

A sprig of thyme or rosemary

A clove of garlic, peeled

Salt and pepper

METHOD:

Add a glug of olive oil to a saucepan and fry the onion over a

medium heat for about 10 minutes until well-softened. Add

the chestnuts, salt and pepper then your stock. Bring to a

boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a blender, whiz up your bread, herbs and

seasoning until a nice, chunky, fragrant crumb has formed.

Now heat another glug of oil in a frying pan and fry your

crumb mix. Don’t rush it or it will burn. To start off with it will

seem a bit cakey, but after ten minutes tossing and turning

it will darken and dry and become crispy – not to mention

fill your kitchen with an incredible aroma! Turn off the heat

and reserve.

Blitz the soup in the blender until nice and smooth but

don’t add all the liquid at the same time – you don’t want

the soup to be too watery. Once it has a nice luxurious

consistency, add your crème fraiche and stir well. Serve

with a generous sprinkling of your crispy poor man’s

Parmesan and a nice chilled glass of white wine!