Roasted Pumpkin Velouté with Chestnuts and Golden Mushrooms

La storia di questo piatto

This is a modern, home-kitchen interpretation, not a codified regional recipe: Italy's autumn pantry, pumpkin, chestnuts and woodland mushrooms, gathered into one warm bowl. It belongs to the season rather than to any single village.

Ingredienti

• 800 g Delica or Mantovana squash (skin on, seeds and stringy fibers removed)
• 350 g Fresh chestnuts (skin on)
• 300 g Mixed mushrooms (cardoncelli, pioppini or porcini)
• 1 piece White onion
• 1 clove Garlic
• 70 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 600 ml Hot vegetable broth
• 6 piece Thyme (sprigs)
• 2 tablespoon White wine vinegar
• 8 g Fine salt
• 1 pinch Freshly ground black pepper

Preparazione

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and meanwhile cut the squash into wedges about 3 cm wide, leaving the skin on: it keeps them compact and prevents them from turning mushy as they cook. Place them in a baking dish with 20 ml of oil, 3 g of salt and 3 thyme sprigs, then massage everything with your hands until each wedge is glossy and fragrant. With a small pointed knife, score the chestnuts in a cross on the rounded side so the steam has a way out and they don't burst in the oven.
2. Roast the squash for 15 minutes, then add the scored chestnuts to the dish and cook for another 20-25 minutes, 35-40 minutes in total. They are ready when the squash edges are caramelized and the flesh gives slightly when pierced with the tip of a knife; the chestnut skins should have opened like a flower and smell of toasted bread. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes so they can be handled without burning yourself. Peel the chestnuts while still warm, using a kitchen towel, because once cold the thin inner skin sticks and becomes a chore. From 350 g of chestnuts in their shells you will get about 210-250 g of flesh: the rest is shell and skin waste. You need 210 g (140 g for the velouté and 70 g for garnish); if some is left over, crumble it over the plate when serving. With a spoon, separate the squash flesh from the skin and discard the skin along with the thyme sprigs.
3. When about 15 minutes of oven time remain, finely chop the onion and place it in a wide pot with 15 ml of oil and 1 g of salt over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The salt helps it release moisture so it doesn't darken too quickly: it should become soft, translucent and just golden, never dark, otherwise the velouté will taste bitter. When the squash is roasted and peeled, add its flesh and 140 g of peeled, chopped chestnuts, pour in the hot broth, adjust with 2 g of salt and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
4. Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth, without washing them: they act like sponges and would absorb water, which would then dilute the pan. Cut any large ones into irregular pieces. Heat a wide pan well with 25 ml of oil over high heat and place the mushrooms in a single layer, in batches if needed, dividing the oil among the batches; then leave them untouched for 2-3 minutes, until the undersides are brown and smell of hazelnut; toss for another 2 minutes. Only now add the crushed garlic, 3 thyme sprigs and 1.5 g of salt, pour in 1 tablespoon of vinegar and let it evaporate completely, scraping the bottom with a spoon, where the best flavors are. Remove the garlic and thyme, then transfer the mushrooms to a plate and keep them warm: only the chestnuts should remain in the pan. Roughly break up the remaining chestnuts (about 70 g), make sure the bottom of the pan is completely dry, and toast them for 1-2 minutes in the empty pan, with no additional oil, until they form a fragrant crust.
5. Blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy enough to coat the spoon. If it seems too thick, loosen it with a ladle of broth or hot water, a little at a time. Taste: if it is flat, add a pinch of salt (about 0.5 g); if it is too sweet, stir in 1 tablespoon of vinegar, gradually. The acidity should brighten the sweetness of the squash, not stand out on its own.
6. Pour the piping-hot velouté into deep bowls and place the golden mushrooms and crispy chestnuts in the center, so the warm creaminess meets the crunch. Finish with a drizzle of raw oil (10 ml in total) and a grind of pepper. Serve immediately, while the mushrooms are still crisp.