Pear Butternut Bisque Food

CHEF JOHN'S BUTTERNUT BISQUE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a pot over medium-low heat. Add onions and a large pinch of salt. Cook and stir until onions have softened but not taken on any color, about 10 or 15 minutes.
• Cut off ends of squash. Carefully cut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler. Cut into chunks.
• Raise heat under pot to medium-high. Stir in tomato paste; cook and stir until mixture begins to caramelize and turn brown, about 2 minutes. Add squash, chicken broth, 1 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until squash is very tender, 15 to 25 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Blend with an immersion blender until very smooth. Stir in cream and maple syrup; add more salt if needed.
• Ladle into serving bowls. Garnish with a swirl of cream, and a sprinkle of chives and pomegranate seeds.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH & PEAR SOUP

Steps:

• Cut squash in half; discard seeds. Place squash cut side down in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 40-50 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly; scoop out flesh and set aside., In a Dutch oven, saute onion in oil until tender. Add the curry, garlic, ginger and salt; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, pears and squash. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Cool slightly., Puree soup using an immersion blender. Or cool slightly and puree soup in batches in a blender until smooth. Return all to the pan; add cream and heat through. Top with balsamic vinegar and chives if desired.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND PEAR SOUP

Steps:

• In a 4-quart saucepan melt the butter over medium-high heat, and add and sweat the onions. Add squash and pears and sweat those too a bit. Pour in the stock, enough to submerge solids. Add sprig of rosemary and bring to a simmer and cook until squash is fork tender about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove rosemary. Puree with immersion blender. Add a touch of cream and season, to taste.

BUTTERNUT BISQUE

Steps:

• ***BASE***.
• Heat up oil in a stock pot.
• While waiting for the oil to heat, mince the onion and bunch of rosemary.
• Once oil is heated put rosemary and onion in the stock pot.
• Turn heat to low.
• Take chicken broth and put in a separate pot. Put on low (even if using bullion to make broth).
• ***SQUASH***.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Peel squash and chop off long end.
• Take long end and cut in half, then the halves in thirds to make even for baking.
• Cut bottom of squash in half in order to scoop out seeds.
• Scoop out seed and make sure to scoop all strings out.
• Cut bottom squash halves into thirds as done with longer squash parts.
• Place squash in baking dish (may need 2 dishes).
• Brush all squash with olive oil (or if you do not have a brush just drizzle and mix).
• Place the sprigs of rosemary in with the squash.
• Put squash into the oven and leave for approximately 70 - 90 minute Be sure to check squash at 60 minute and stick a fork in the larger pieces. If the fork goes through, it is done. The cooking time all depends on the size of the squash pieces. Larger take longer and smaller take less.
• When squash is done remove the rosemary sprigs and put aside.
• ***BISQUE***.
• Once squash is done, place it in the stock pot along with the base.
• Put enough chicken broth in the stock pot to cover at least half of the butternut squash. Let simmer for about 30 minute.
• Take a soup ladle and place the contents of the stock pot in your blender. Setting the blended parts into a separate container to cool. Be sure to blend well.
• **At this point taste to see if more rosemary is desired. If so, place the rosemary straight into the blender with the soup.**.
• **Also, this is when you should add more chicken broth to achieve your desired thickness. In order to not make it too thin, only add broth with sections of the bisque at a time, otherwise it could really turn out too thin.**.
• Once you are sure that all of the soup/bisque is well blended you can either place it back into the stock pot to heat for serving, or leave it in the containers enough to cool and then place in the fridge. Note: this taste really good the next day as well as at the time it is finished!
• Heat, serve and enjoy!

PEAR-NUT BISCUITS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk egg and cream; stir into crumb mixture just until moistened. Fold in pears and pecans. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet., Bake at 400° for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

BUTTERNUT BISQUE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute carrots, celery, leeks and jalapeno in butter for 10 minutes. Add the squash, broth and ginger; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 25 minutes. , Cool until lukewarm. In a blender or food processor, puree squash mixture in small batches until smooth; return to pan., Add cream, salt and pepper; mix well. Heat through but do not boil. Garnish with pecans.

PEAR AND BUTTERNUT BISQUE

Steps:

• Peel, seed and cube squash. (cut off a slice from top and bottom and stand squash on end to cut down the middle). Set aside.
• In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, garlic and ginger. Saute 5 minutes.
• Put squash and remaining ingredients (except pepper and lemon juice) into pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. The vegetables and pears should be very tender.
• Let soup cool a bit and puree in batches in a food processor or blender. ( I find a blender gives a smoother puree). Pour soup into a clean pan.
• Reheat over medium-low heat, unti very hot. Season with pepper and lemon juice.
• Garnish with a dollop of plain nonfat yogurt and a small piece of rosemary.