Fresh Chestnut and Winter Squash Soup

• 8 cups Savory Potato Broth (page 63)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 pound chestnuts, peeled, cut into bits and chunks (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 pound winter squash, peeled, sliced into 1/3-inch pieces (about 1 1/2cups)
• 1 medium leek, sliced and chopped fine

1. Heat the broth to a boil.
2. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more if the broth is bland, and a few grinds of black pepper.
3. Stir in all the chestnut, squash, and leek pieces; return to a steady perking boil.
4. Cover, and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, until the vegetables have softened, melted, and thickened the soup.
5. Stir frequently, and lower the heat as the soup thickens.
6. Cook uncovered if you want a thicker soup; add water to thin it.
7. Taste, and adjust the seasonings.
8. Serve hot in warm bowls, with freshly grated cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, and other garnishes (see page 60).
9. I love fresh chestnuts.
10. Though its easy to take off the outer shell, the frustrating part is the skin-tight brown peel around the nut meat.
11. With the blanching-and-chilling method hereand a cooperative batch of nutsthe shell and skin should come off together.
12. I always buy a few pounds of nuts when theyre fresh, and enjoy most of them as Skillet Roasted Chestnuts (page 407).
13. Be sure to try ityou wont have to peel those nuts; your guests will!
14. To peel chestnuts, cut a slit about 1/2 inch long in the outer shell of each nut.
15. Bring a quart or so of water to the boil, drop in the nuts, and boil them for 5 minutes.
16. Drain, and spread them on a tray or baking sheet; while the nuts are still hot, set the tray in the freezer (or outside, if its cold enough), and freeze for 30 minutes to an hour, maximum.
17. To peel a nut, break open the shell at the slit and tear apart the inner skinits helpful to use the tip of a paring knife.
18. Loosen the skin with the knife, and pry off the shell and skin at one time.
19. If necessary, break the nut meat to get the skin out of the wrinklesthe nuts will be chopped up for cooking anyway.
20. When you come upon a really unpeelable nut, just pare the peel, losing some nut meat, or try the technique suggested by Judith Jones, my editor and an expert cook.
21. Put up to a dozen slit chestnuts in a microwave oven and cook them for about 30 seconds.
22. The skin should come off easily, she says.
23. If not, microwave for another few seconds.

potato broth, salt, freshly ground black pepper, chestnuts, winter

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/fresh-chestnut-and-winter-squash-soup-384412 (may not work)