| Because only an idiot would diet
on Thanksgiving. Listen, a little cream isn't going to kill you. If you don't
eat it on Thanksgiving, then when will you? 2 and a half
pounds of butternut squash cut into 2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme
leaves
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds
1 shallot,
chopped
3 cups of chicken stock
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 cup of
cream
salt & pepper
1 shot of bourbon for the soup, and another for
the chef Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Get
a large soup pot and heat up the butter on medium. Then, sweat your shallots for
about 5 minutes until they are just starting to brown and caramelize. Pour
in 3 cups of chicken stock along with 3 cups of water. Also, add your squash,
thyme, nutmeg, bourbon, salt and pepper. Cover and bring to
a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Check to see if the squash
is tender, and if not, keep cooking for another 5 minutes. While
the soup is cooking, you can roast your pumpkin seeds. Rinse the seeds and dry
them with paper towels. Put the seeds as a single layer on a cookie sheet and
sprinkle them with salt. Roast them for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, stirring
every few minutes. When the squash is tender, puree the soup
using one of these
new hand blender gadgets. Or, ladle the mixture into a regular blender, going
back and forth between the blender and the pot until all the soup is pureed.
Return the pureed soup into the pot, and add the cream. Bring to a simmer
for a minute or two, and add more salt and pepper if necessary. If it is too thick,
you can add a little more water. Ladle into bowels and sprinkle
with roasted pumpkin seeds.
Serves 6. | 