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Roasted Butternut Soup with Ghost Chile Sauce
By Chef Tom Fraker

- Ingredients
- 1 (2 lbs.) Melissa's Butternut Squash -- peeled; cubed
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as needed
- Coarse Sea Salt, to taste
- Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Melissa’s Maui Onion -- chopped
- 2 Melissa's Peeled Garlic -- chopped
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can Diced Tomatoes
- 4 Tablespoons Dry Sherry
- 3 each Granny Smith Apples -- peeled; diced
- 3 1/2 cups Chicken Broth or Stock
- 3 Tablespoons Pico de Gallo Seasoning
- For the sauce:
- 3 1/2 pounds Melissa’s Red Cactus Pear -- peeled
- 1/4 cup Water
- 3/4 cups Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Fresh Bhut Jolokia Pepper
- 1/4 cup Bourbon
- ½ pouch or 1.5 ounces Liquid Pectin
- Directions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- In a bowl, toss the squash with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Place in the oven until browned and fork tender, about 20 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
- Add the diced tomatoes and sherry.
- Boil until almost all liquid evaporates, about 7-8 minutes.
- Add the squash and apples then stir in the chicken stock or broth.
- Bring to boil.
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer to incorporate the flavors, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
- Puree the soup with a hand mixer being careful not to splash, as the soup will be very hot.
- Puree until very smooth.
- If the soup is too thick, add chicken stock.
- Stir in the pico de gallo seasoning.
- Place in serving bowls and garnish with the Ghost Pepper Sauce.
- Recipe for the sauce follows.
- Makes about 6 servings.
- For the sauce:
- Place the cactus pear in a pot. Add the water and bring it to a boil.
- Once it boils, mash the cactus pears and stir in the sugar and the peppers.
- Boil for about 20 minutes until the sauce thickens and sticks to the back of a spoon.
- Next, carefully purée mixture in a blender and strain back into a clean pot.
- Now add the bourbon and boil for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the pectin and let cool.
- Makes about 1 1/4 cups of sauce.
- To customize this soup for Halloween, fill a pastry bag with some of the sauce and carefully squeeze into the shape of a ghost or your favorite Halloween character.
- Notes
- The Bhut Jolokia Pepper to be one of the hottest peppers in the world.
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