Cep Velouté with Chestnut Cream and Crisp Sage

⏱ 55 min · Serves 4

A silky, deeply savoury mushroom soup that tastes like an autumn forest floor in the best possible way. Dried ceps do the heavy lifting on flavour, a swirl of sweet chestnut cream adds richness, and sage leaves fried until glassy give every spoonful a crackle. Elegant enough for a dinner party first course, but honestly not difficult.

Per serving: 437 kcal · 8.5g protein · 21.0g carbs · 35.0g fat

Ingredients

• 30g dried porcini (ceps)
• 500ml boiling water
• 40g unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 banana shallot, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 300g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 1 sprig thyme
• 100ml dry white wine
• 600ml good chicken or vegetable stock
• 150ml double cream
• 1 tsp sherry vinegar
• Sea salt and white pepper
• For the chestnut cream: 100g cooked peeled chestnuts (vacuum-packed)
• 120ml whole milk
• 50ml double cream
• Pinch of grated nutmeg
• For the crisp sage: 16 sage leaves
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Flaky salt
• To finish: truffle oil or good olive oil, to drizzle

Method

1. Put the dried ceps in a bowl, pour over the 500ml boiling water and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Lift out the mushrooms, squeeze gently, and chop roughly. Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or fine cloth and keep it — that's your flavour bomb.
2. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook 4 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3. Turn the heat up, add the chestnut mushrooms and thyme, and fry hard for 6–8 minutes until they've released their water and started to brown. Add the soaked ceps and fry another 2 minutes.
4. Pour in the wine and let it bubble away almost completely. Add the strained cep liquor and the stock, bring to a simmer and cook gently for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile make the chestnut cream: simmer the chestnuts with the milk for 8 minutes until very soft, then blitz with the 50ml cream and nutmeg until smooth and pourable. Season with salt. Keep warm.
6. Fry the sage: heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a small pan until shimmering, drop in the leaves in batches and fry 15–20 seconds until they stop sizzling and turn translucent. Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with flaky salt.
7. Fish out the thyme sprig, then blend the soup until completely smooth — a good 2 minutes in a jug blender. For true velouté texture, push it through a fine sieve back into the pan.
8. Stir in the 150ml double cream and the sherry vinegar, reheat gently without boiling, and season carefully with salt and white pepper.
9. Ladle into warm bowls, swirl a spoonful of chestnut cream through each, top with crisp sage leaves and a few drops of truffle or olive oil. Serve immediately.