Butternut Squash And Chestnut Soup

• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 stalks celery, chopped coarse
• 1 medium-size onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup peeled and cooked fresh chestnuts (about 20), or 1 cup canned, unsweetened chestnuts
• 1 1/4 cups cooked and pureed fresh butternut squash, or 1 10-ounce package frozen squash, defrosted
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground mace
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• Salt to taste
• White pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
• 23 cup sour cream

1. In a medium-size, heavy casserole dish, heat the oil over medium heat.
2. Stir in the celery and the onion and saute until the vegetables are translucent and soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the chestnuts, squash, ginger root, thyme and mace and stir.
4. Scrape the mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel chopping blade and process until completely smooth.
5. Return the puree to the pan and stir in the chicken stock and the bourbon.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Bring the soup just to a boil over high heat.
8. Reduce the heat and simmer for 7 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the crystallized ginger with the sour cream.
10. Ladle the soup into individual bowls.
11. Just before serving, spoon on a generous dollop of the ginger-sour cream mixture.

vegetable oil, stalks celery, onion, chestnuts, butternut squash, fresh ginger root, thyme, ground mace, chicken stock, bourbon, salt, white pepper, ginger, sour cream

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/480 (may not work)