DIRECTIONS

1. Wash the Butternut Squash under hot water. Using a chef’s knife split the squash in half lengthwise. The easiest way to do this is to lay the squash down, estimate a good halfway mark and insert the tip of the knife into the squash at that point. Press down until you reach the cutting board and rotate the knife downward, so the heel of the knife comes down to the cutting board. Turn 180 degrees and repeat.
2. Scoop the seeds out of the squash. Rub the cut surface with vegetable oil and season with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
3. Place the squash cut side down on the sheet tray and roast in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour. The flesh should be very soft at this point. Let cool to room temperature before scooping all the flesh away from the skin. Discard skin and save flesh for later.
4. Place the 6 qt. pot over a medium flame and add butter. When the butter starts to crackle and pop add the chopped garlic. Sautee for 30 seconds, add onion, carrot, and celery. Turn heat to low, add a couple pinches of salt and place a lid on the pot. Sweat for 15 minutes.
5. Remove lid, the vegetables should have released some liquid. Turn heat back to medium and stir the vegetables until half of that liquid has reduced. Pour the chardonnay in and reduce by half. Pour the stock in and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Gently add the butternut squash pulp and diced apples to the pot and return to a simmer. Taste for seasoning. You want your broth to be very well seasoned at this point. Simmer for 20 more minutes.
7. Taste for seasoning again. At this point you will be adding the flair to the recipe. Maple syrup will bring more sweetness, lemon juice for tartness and garam masala for an exotic touch. This cream will bring body and a silky texture. Add as much or as little of these as you wish, this will help you define your palate and really customize your recipe. Let simmer for 5 more minutes.
8. I like to blend the soup hot. HOWEVER, this can be dangerous. Make sure you are very comfortable with your blender. (You may also use an immersion blender or stick blender.) Only fill the carafe halfway and make sure blender is on the lowest setting. The vent plug on the lid MUST be removed. (I use a clean dish towel draped loosely to cover the hole.) Puree the soup, increasing the speed gradually and let it run for 30 seconds to a minute. Pour the pureed soup through the fine mesh strainer into another large container. Continue until all the soup has been pureed. At this point I add the rosemary sprig wrapped in cheesecloth to slightly perfume the bisque.
9. Cool completely. A Ziplock bag of ice cubes sealed tightly placed in the soup can speed up this process.