Velouté of Potimarron Pumpkin with Roast Chestnuts and Ceps

Velouté of Potimarron Pumpkin with Roast Chestnuts and Ceps

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 400g potimarron pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and roughly cut into 3cm pieces
• 100ml olive oil, plus 1 extra tsp olive oil
• 70g unsalted butter
• ¼ Spanish onion, finely diced
• 700ml chicken stock
• 200ml milk
• 2 large fresh ceps
• 12 chestnuts, roasted, peeled and cut into quarters
• 1 tbsp chopped curly parsley
• 2 tsp pumpkin seed oil
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground white pepper

Method

1. Put the pumpkin pieces on a baking tray and roll them in 100ml of olive oil. Place in an oven preheated to 160°C and bake for one hour, or until tender
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion. Sweat gently for 5 minutes, until softened but not coloured.
3. Add the roasted pumpkin to the pan along with the chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the milk.
4. Purée the mixture from the pan in batches in a blender or food processor to create the soup. Then pass the liquid through a fine sieve into a clean pan.
5. Reheat the soup gently and season with salt and pepper.
6. Clean the ceps with a pastry brush, rinse in cold water and pat dry. Trim 1cm off the stalks, then cut them into 5mm slices.
7. Heat the remaining teaspoon of olive oil in a frying pan, add the ceps and sauté over a high heat until golden on each side. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Add the chestnuts to the pan to warm through, then add the chopped parsley.
9. To serve, pour the soup into bowls, spoon the ceps and chestnuts on top and finish with a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil.

But if you would rather leave the cooking up to the professionals, enjoy this dish with us on Christmas Day.  View our festive dining options over the Christmas period.