Olivier Baussan's Chestnut Soup

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut through one end of the shell of each chestnut. Place them on a sheet pan and roast until browned and the skins begin to pull back, 7 to 8 minutes. When cool, peel the nuts and discard the skins.

2. Step 2

   Melt butter in a large soup pot. Add shallots and cook until soft. Add chestnuts, raise heat and cook, stirring, until chestnuts are golden. Stir in the porcini powder, vinegar and 4 cups of water. Add 2 cups of the cream and stir, scraping any residue from the bottom. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Step 3

   Bring the remaining cream to a boil and add the cardamom pods. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Strain and season with salt and pepper.

4. Step 4

   Purée soup in a blender and stir in the truffle oil. Reheat the soup. (It should be warm, not piping hot.) Season with salt and pepper if necessary. Whip the infused cream until very frothy. Ladle soup into 8 small mugs and top with the frothy cream and a pinch more porcini powder, if desired.