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1
Slit the chestnuts on their flat sides with a short, sharp knife or a hook-bladed chestnut knife and boil them for 3 to 4 minutes in water with 1 tablespoon sea salt.
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2
Drain the chestnuts and peel them and rub off their inner skins while they are still warm.
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3
In a very large, heavy soup pot over a medium flame, warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and saute the pancetta and the salt pork, until they have rendered their fat and are well crusted.
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4
With a slotted spoon, remove the crisped pancetta and salt pork to a holding plate.
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5
Add the peeled chestnuts to the pot, rolling them about for a minute or two before adding the crushed cloves of garlic and stirring the mixture together.
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6
Add the red wine and 8 cups of water and return to a simmer.
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7
Cover the pot with a skewed lid and continue to simmer for 1 hour.
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8
In a large saute pan over a medium flame, warm 1/2 cup of the olive oil and add the turnips and carrots, tossing them about in the fat for a minute or two before adding the leeks, the cabbage, and 1 tablespoon sea salt and stirring the ingredients together for another minute.
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9
Remove the vegetables from the flame.
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10
After the chestnuts have simmered for 1 hour, add the vegetables to the pot, returning to a simmer.
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11
Cook the soup, uncovered, for 1/2 hour or until the chestnuts are tender but still holding their shape.
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12
The soup is best when it is served without pureeing first.
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13
But, if you wish, pureeing a third or so of the soup and blending it back will thicken it into a stew, leaving its integrity unharmed.
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14
Its your choice.
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15
In any case, turn the soup out into a warmed tureen or ladle it into warm, deep soup plates.
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16
Pass the reserved crisps of pancetta and salt pork for garnish.
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17
Add warm bread, a jug of the good red wine with which the soup was made, and supper is ready.
