Foraging for chestnuts, and an unusual soup

It seems to be a good year for English chestnuts. Maybe it is partly that I live a bit further south now, but I have seen a fine crop of them this month. The best were some we gathered on a bike ride to Esher in Surrey. The trees in question were just outside Oxshott and we didn’t need to do more than stop by the side of the road to pick them up. They were pretty big, too – often the trouble with wild chestnuts is that they are nowhere near the size of those you can buy. We got a carrier bag full within about ten minutes. Apart from blackberries, this was the first bit of foraging since we have moved to London, so it was a good feeling.

When I gathered these a few days ago the chestnuts were raining from the trees even as we were picking them – making it slightly hazardous as we dodged small prickly missiles.

I’ve tried various methods of cooking chestnuts, including roasting, boiling and microwaving. I think boiling them is best, especially if you are putting them in a recipe (I guess roasted are nicer for a snack). Boil for about 20 minutes and leave in the water to stay warm while you peel them. You will want a sharp knife to make the initial slit in the skins. They have a papery skin inside the hard casing, which can be hard to get off, but I don't find it too much of a problem if the skin stays on. (Apparently the skin comes off more easily if the chestnuts are fresh.) Peeling can be a slow process and I recommend doing this in front of the television, ideally the night before you want to cook them, or at any rate not when you are hungrily waiting for dinner!

One of my favourite things to do with chestnuts is to add them to a pie filling with mushrooms, Stilton and stout, topped with puff pastry. But I had some nice local celery that needed using, and I thought I’d try something different. So I made this soup. It worked quite well – the sweetness of the chestnuts helps to balance out the celery. I’m not sure that I would buy chestnuts for this recipe, as it uses quite a lot and they can be quite expensive. But if you have some wild ones to use, it is well worth trying.

Celery and chestnut soup

1 large head celery, roughly chopped
1lb peeled and cooked chestnuts, plus a few extra whole chestnuts to garnish
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 large potato, peeled and diced, or two or three small ones
1 stock cube
A little freshly ground nutmeg
Thyme sprigs, to garnish (optional)

Put the onion and the oil in a large pan and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the celery and the carrots, and continue stirring for 5 minutes. Add the chestnuts, potato, stock cube, thyme and nutmeg, plus just enough water to cover the vegetables, and simmer, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the veg are tender, and discard the bay leaf. Puree the mixture until smooth. Taste and season as necessary - you can add a little more nutmeg or thyme if you think it needs it. It will probably be quite thick, so dilute to your preferred consistency with water or stock - or use milk for a creamier soup.

Serve each bowl garnished with three or four whole chestnuts (these should ideally be warmed first, and will float on top if you are careful) and a couple of sprigs of thyme.