inspired by Thomas Keller’s recipe
Ingredients
- 1 3-to-3 1/2-pound butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 garlic cloves in skins
- 2 sprigs sage
- 1 thinly sliced leek
- 1 thinly sliced carrot
- 1 thinly sliced shallot
- ½ cup thinly sliced onions
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 4 cups vegetable stock, more if needed
- 8 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
For garnish:
- crème fraîche
- grated nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon minced chives
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350° F/176° C. Cut the buttersquash into chunky pieces. Scoop out seeds and discard. Brush each piece inside and out with oil, salt and pepper mixture. Tuck a sprig of sage into each. Tuck in garlic. Place cut-side-down on the baking sheet and roast until completely tender, about 1 hour. Remove the squash from the oven and let cool, then scoop out and reserve the flesh (discard sage).
Put the remaining oil in a stockpot over medium heat, add the leeks, carrots, shallots and onions and cook, stirring often, for about 6 minutes. Add the squash, garlic (skins removed), 1/2 tablespoon salt and cook gently for 3 minutes.
Add the stock.
Let mixture cool a bit. Transfer to a blender in batches and purée.
Put puréed mixture back on stove.
Add the the honey to the purée.
Add the bay leaves and thyme.
Simmer gently for about 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaves and thyme.
Strain the soup through a fine sieve into a bowl. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning.
Heat a medium skillet over high heat. When it is very hot, add the butter and rotate the skillet over the heat as necessary to brown the butter evenly, scraping up any bits that settle in the bottom. As soon as the butter is a hazelnut brown, remove from stove and place in a separate container to prevent further cooking.
Ladel the soup in bowl. Top with a drizzle of brown butter, a dallop of crème fraîche and nutmeg to taste.