Poblano Soup

I had this soup at a Christmas party this year and my neighbor and friend, Molly passed the recipe onto me the other night...compliments of Gourmet magazine. I would never have selected this soup from its list of ingredients, but it was such a great surprise and wonderful for a cold winter day.

This soup, served hot in a shot glass, is wonderfully warming, and the spicy heat from the chiles will wake up your taste buds. It's a great way to kick-start some festive conversation.
Makes about 32 hors d'oeuvre servings
1 1/2 pounds fresh poblano chiles (8 large)

1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds1 whole clove or 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

4 whole allspice or 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 cup mild olive oil

1 medium white onion, chopped (1 cup)

4 large garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

3 to 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

Equipment: heatproof shot glasses or espresso cups
Roast chiles: Roast chiles on their sides on racks of gas burners, 1 or 2 per burner, on medium-high (or on rack of a broiler pan about 2 inches from heat), turning with tongs, until skins are blackened all over, 4 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, then cover and let stand 20 minutes. Peel chiles, then stem, seed, devein, and coarsely chop.

Make soup: Heat spices in oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until fragrant and oil begins to simmer, 1 to 2 minutes.Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add roasted chiles and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Purée chile mixture with cilantro and 3 cups broth (total) in 2 or 3 batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), about 2 minutes per batch.
Return mixture to cleaned saucepan and add cream. Bring to a simmer, adding more broth to thin if necessary, and season with salt.
Cooks' note: Soup can be blended and cream added (but not heated) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.Thin with broth and season with salt when reheating if necessary.