Ingredients:
1 Butternut Squash about 3 to 4 lbs
1 large yellow onion or 2 small onions
1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon bacon fat
1 carrot
1 rib of celery
1 to 2 cups of vegetable broth (see recipe)
1 to 2 cups low sodium chicken broth (total liquid 4 cups)
Sprigs of rosemary and thyme
pinch of saffron
pinch of cumin
bay leaf
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
Cream
1.) preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a mallet and a sharp knife cut the squash in half. Place the blade on the squash and gently tap on the back of the knife with the mallet to cut the squash. Scoop out the cavity with an ice cream scoop and place the seeds and fibers in a small pot.
2.) Chop half of one large onion or one whole small onion and add chopped onion to pot. Include onion skins.
3.) Add 1 to 2 cups of water to pot and bring to boil then reduce to simmer. The amount of water you use depends on how much vegetable broth you want to make. You need a total of 4 cups of combined vegetable broth and chicken broth. This can simmer on low on the stove top for about and hour. As more vegetable scraps are produced add them to the pot and stir.
4.) Cut squash into quarters. Place on baking sheet, skin side down. Cut slash marks into the squash. Take head of garlic and slice in half long ways. Rub exposed garlic over squash. Coat squash with olive oil. Place garlic halves into squash cavity and add sprig of rosemary. Place any garlic skin and pieces of rosemary that break off into the simmering pot. Salt and pepper squash and place in oven at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
5.) After 25 minutes flip the squash with a pair of tongs so the skin side is up. Using a large dutch oven or pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and one tablespoon of bacon fat (if you don't keep bacon drippings frozen in your freezer, substitute another tablespoon of olive oil.)
When oil is hot add other half of large onion, chopped fine or whole small onion (put onionskin in the simmering pot). Add a dash of salt to the pot.
6.) Cook onions until very soft, but not browned for about 12 minutes. Add on chopped carrot and one chopped celery rib to pot. Put any carrot peelings and celery ends in the simmering pot. Soften carrots and celery for about 6 minutes. Take simmering pot of stove and pour through strainer into bowl. Mash on solids in strainer to extract all the liquid. Discard solids. Measure vegetable broth. Add low sodium chicken broth to equal 4 cups of liquids. Add to dutch oven. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Add bay leaf. Add a dash of salt to the pot.
7.) Remove squash from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.
8.) Using ice cream scoop scrape flesh from skins. Skins will be soft and might tear so be careful not to add any to the soup. I like to hold the piece of squash in my left hand, protected by a dish towel and scoop with my right.
9.) Add the scooped squash to the simmering broth. Add the roasted garlic cloves to the broth by squeezing them out of their paper skin. Add a pinch of saffron and a pinch of cumin to the soup and allow to simmer about 20 minutes.
10.) Remove the bay leaf. ladle the soup in a blender jar or use an immersion blender. If using a blender jar only fill half way and blend in batches. Place a dish towel over the lid while blending. Use caution when blending hot liquids. - Optional - as you blend each batch add a small pat of butter to the blender jar.
11.) Blend each batch about two minutes until soup is thick and creamy. Place soup in a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
12.) Before serving place soup in large pot or dutch oven and warm over medium heat. using a plane grater scrape about 1/8 teaspoon of fresh nutmeg (or substitute ground nutmeg) then salt and use fresh ground pepper to taste. Serve in a soup bowl with a drizzle of heavy cream.
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