Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
24 Oakwood shiitake mushrooms, trimmed (any shiitakes may be substituted)
4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
2 sprigs thyme
3 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
4 teaspoons butter
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely diced
24 frozen chestnuts (available at Grace's Marketplace)
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 and a 1/2-inch piece ginger, smashed
1 stalk lemongrass, lightly smashed
4 Fuji apples, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup elderflower syrup (available at Myers of Keswick, 634 Hudson Street; 2 tablespoons honey can be substituted)
Garnish: 24 sprigs chervil

Instructions

Heat the oil in a sauté pan, add the shiitakes, and sweat over low heat. Add 2 garlic cloves, 1 sprig thyme, and 1 cup of the stock; bring to a boil; and reduce the liquid until dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. (May be made a day ahead and refrigerated.)

Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a sauté pan. Add the celery, shallots, 1 sprig thyme, and 2 garlic cloves, and sweat over low heat for 3 minutes. Add chestnuts, and cook for 5 more minutes; add 2 cups stock and simmer until liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper, and remove the garlic and thyme. Add the remaining butter, and crush the chestnuts with a fork until the butter is incorporated. Set aside. (May be made a day ahead.)

Sweat the onion, ginger, and lemongrass in a saucepan till the onion is soft. Add the diced apple, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the rice vinegar and syrup, reduce until dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove the ginger and lemongrass. (May be made a day ahead.)

Spoon a little chestnut purée into each mushroom cap, and top with the apple chutney. (May be assembled a few hours ahead.)

To Serve
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Set the mushroom caps on a baking sheet, and heat them in the oven for 5 minutes. Garnish each with a sprig of chervil and place in a porcelain Chinese spoon.

(Published 2001)