CELERY ROOT & CHESTNUT SOUP

SERVES 8

THE IDEA OF PAIRING celery root with chestnuts came to me from an Austrian chef named Kurt Gutenbrunner. Though his masterful touch included a balancing act of ingredients from prunes to porcini mushrooms, truffles, rich stock, and cream, this recipe focuses on the luxuriousness of celery root, pure and simple, enhanced by the earthy chestnuts.

FOR THE SOUP

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 small onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 celery root (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into large chunks

1½ cups roasted chestnuts (here), roughly chopped

Salt and pepper

2 cups half-and-half

Sprig of thyme

Pinch grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon butter

TO FINISH

6 roasted chestnuts (here), sliced lengthwise

½ tart, crisp apple, peeled and finely diced

Pumpkin seed oil

Heat the grapeseed oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and garlic and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the celery root and chestnuts and cook for a few more minutes. Pour in 5 cups water, add salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the celery root is tender, about 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, thyme, and nutmeg and simmer for another 15 minutes. This will infuse the herb and spice into the liquid and reduce the half-and-half a bit.

Discard the thyme and process the mixture in a blender with the butter until silky smooth. Return the soup to the pot and bring to a simmer, thinning with water to the consistency you like. Check the seasonings, then serve the soup in bowls topped with the roasted chestnuts and diced apples. Drizzle with pumpkin seed oil.

Grapeseed Oil

I prefer to use grapeseed oil over other neutral-flavored oils such as canola. I value its purity and its ability to withstand high temperatures.