Recipe courtesy of #BGETeamGreen Member Chef Alex Chen, @chefalexchen
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. whole butternut squash, split in half but not peeled
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup diced onions
- ½ cup diced celery
- ¾ cup diced carrots
- â…“ cup diced fennel
- 1 cup diced apples, peels and cored
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp allspice
- 4 quarts chicken stock
- 2¾ cups cream
- 4 cloves
- 3 star anise
- 4 sprigs of sage
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 2 strips of orange peel
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp butter
- Juice of ¼ lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Set the EGG for indirect cooking with the convEGGtor at 300°F/149°C.
Season the butternut squash with salt and pepper and wrap it in aluminum foil. Bake in the EGG for about 1 hour. Remove the squash from the EGG when the flesh of the squash is very tender when squeezed. Once cooled, scoop the flesh of the squash out with a spoon and discard the outer skin.
Place a Dutch oven in the EGG to preheat.
When the Dutch oven is hot, add the oil, onions, celery, carrots, fennel, apples and garlic. Sweat the veggies for 2 minutes, add in ground cinnamon and allspice. Mix well and cook for another 2 minutes, and then add in chicken stock, cream and butternut squash. Secure the cloves, star anise, sage, thyme, orange peel and bay leaf in a cheese cloth with butchers’ twine and add into the Dutch oven. Bring everything to a boil and simmer the soup for about 40 minutes. Add in maple syrup, butter and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the Dutch oven from the EGG. Remove the cheese cloth with the herbs. Blend the soup till smooth. Serve immediately.
Yields about 12 portions.