Chestnut Soup with Bacon - shallots

Method

• Preheat the oven to 250F.
• Peel and cut the shallots and celery into large chunks.
• Peel the 3 garlic cloves.
• Heat a flameproof casserole dish and put in 2 slices of bacon 1/8-inch thick.
• Color well on both sides, then take them out and keep hot.
• Add the chunks of shallot and celery and the whole garlic cloves to the bacon fat.
• Stir for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add 2 1/2 pounds of peeled chestnuts to the casserole dish.
• Sweat for 3 minutes, stirring.
• Take out about 20 of them and set aside.
• Then add a bay leaf and the peppercorns.
• Add the chicken stock and put the casserole dish in the oven for 45 minutes.
• In the meantime, clean the mushrooms.
• Slice the caps of 2 firm mushrooms into thin slices and keep cold on a plate covered with plastic wrap.
• Chop the rest into small dice.
• Blend the soup thoroughly.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Keep hot.
• Cut the two slices of bacon into fine lardons and cut the 20 reserved chestnuts into quarters.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan and brown the chestnuts for 2 minutes.
• Add the diced mushrooms, salt lightly, and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the small lardons, stir, and adjust the seasoning.
• Put this garnish in the middle of each soup plate.
• Pour the hot soup around it.
• Sprinkle with mushroom slices and serve nice and hot.