Potage Au Potiron

Servings: 6
Ingredients:

1 ea Pumpkin, ripe, 8 to 10              6 c  Stock, chicken **
-- inches in diameter                    Salt (to taste)
8 tb Butter, unsalted                         Pepper, white (to taste)
1 md Onion, chopped                      1 ea Bread, French, 10' long,
2/3 c  Wine, white, dry                         -- thinly sliced OR
2 sm Turnips, white, peeled              2 ea Bread, rolls, with crust
-- and sliced                            -- thinly sliced
1 ea Carrot, peeled, sliced            1/2 c  Cream, whipping

** See recipe for Chicken Stock.

Cut off and reserve the top of the pumpkin. Use a large spoon or
melon baller to scoop out and discard all of the seeds and strings.
Scrape out the pumpkin flesh without breaking through the shell. You
should have about 6 cups of pumpkin pieces. Set aside the hollow
pumpkin and lid.

In a large casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium
heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring often, until softened and
very lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for 1
minute longer. Add the turnips, carrot, reserved pumpkin flesh, and
enough Chicken Stock to cover solids. Season lightly with salt and
pepper. Cover and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, cut the bread slices into thin wedges about 1/2-inch
long. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of butter over medium
heat. Add half of the bread pieces and toss constantly in butter
until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add these croutons to the
soup. Saute the remaining uncooked croutons in the remaining butter,
set aside for garnish.

Boil soup gently, covered, for 1 hour. Puree mixture in a
processor or blender until smooth. Return the pureed soup to a clean
saucepan, stir in the cream, and bring to a simmer. Thin, if
necessary, with additional stock. Adjust seasoning with salt and
pepper. Serve soup in pumpkin, passing remaining croutons separately.

Source: New York’s Master Chefs, Bon Appetit Magazine
: Written by Richard Sax, Photographs by Nancy McFarland
: The Knapp Press, Los Angeles, 1985

Chef: Andre Soltner, Lutece Restaurant, New York

—–