Description
Excerpted with permission from Fruitful, a cookbook by Sarah Johnson
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 Delicata squash or 2 small onion squash
- Olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs of sage, plus 3–4 stems for garnish (optional)
- Pinch of chilli flakes
- 1¾oz unsalted butter
- 1 apple, peeled, quartered and cored
- 18–20 oz vegetable or chicken stock (preferably homemade)
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice the squash in half and season the flesh with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and place the halves, cut-side down, on a roasting tray. Roast in the oven for 25–40 minutes until the skin becomes blistered and the flesh turns tender throughout. Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
- In the meantime, take a large heavy-based saucepan and add a drizzle of olive oil, along with the onions and carrots. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over them and cook over a low heat with the lid on for about 10 minutes until the onions become translucent without browning. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, sage, and chilli flakes then continue to cook for a further 10 minutes.
- While the vegetables cook, make the brown butter. Place the butter in a stainless-steel-based (or other light-coloured) pan over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted and started to foam, gently swirl the pan and scrape the bottom where the solids are beginning to settle. After a few minutes, the butter will begin to colour. Reduce the heat so the foam settles and continue to cook until the butter solids are hazelnut brown. Immediately transfer the butter to a heatproof bowl and keep somewhere warm.
- Once the squash has cooled enough to handle, remove the seeds and stringy core. Scoop out the soft flesh and add it to the pan along with the apple, stock and half the brown butter. Set aside the remaining brown butter for later. Increase the heat to medium–high and bring everything to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes until the apple is soft.
- Remove the pan from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Transfer one-third of the soup to a blender, and purée until smooth. Be careful when blending hot liquids, as pressure can build up and cause the lid to come off unexpectedly. To avoid this, fill the blender jug no more than halfway, and leave the lid slightly ajar, allowing the steam to escape. Placing a tea towel over the top will catch any potential splatters. Once the soup is smooth, pour it into a large bowl and continue with the other two-thirds. Return the blended soup to the pan (it may require reheating), then taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference.
- If you wish to garnish the soup with fried sage, take a small frying pan and pour in enough olive oil to cover the base. Place the pan over medium–high heat. Set aside 12 sage leaves. Line a heatproof ceramic plate with kitchen paper and keep it nearby. After a minute or two, test the temperature of the oil by adding a drop of water; if it sizzles, add the sage leaves. Let them fry for around 2–3 seconds, then turn off the heat. Allow the sage to fry for a few more seconds, then transfer it to the prepared kitchen paper to drain. Season the fried sage while it’s still hot, then let it cool.
- When you are ready to serve, check to see if the remaining brown butter is still melted, if not, gently warm through. Ladle the warm soup into bowls and swirl in spoonfuls of brown butter. Finish with freshly ground pepper and the fried sage, if using.