Cousina

Ingredients

• 800g peeled chestnuts
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 600 ml cream
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 6 celery leaves
• salt
• pepper

1. Boil the chestnuts in the chicken stock, celery leaves and nutmeg until tender and stock has reduced by half. Puree in a food processor or vitamiser.
2. Add the cream to the puree and warm. Do not boil. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Soup can be processed with a stick blender to aerate before serving if desired. 

This soup is a classic of the Ardeche region and was developed by Christiane Brioude of Le Vivarais a Vals-les-Bains (now Hotel Helvi).