Potage Lyonnais Pumpkin Soup Lyon Style Food

PUMPKIN SOUP SERVED IN A PUMPKIN (POTAGE AU POTIRON)

Steps:

• Cut off top of pumpkin at least 5 inches across, so that it can serve as a lid. Scoop out and discard all seeds and stringy material. Using a large sturdy spoon, scrape out 6 cups of pumpkin meat, taking care not to break through the shell. Set aside the pumpkin and its lid in a warm place.
• In a large soup pot over medium-low heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add wine and simmer for 1 minute. Add turnips, carrot, potato, pumpkin meat and enough chicken stock or water to barely cover.
• Cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat remaining 6 tablespoons butter, and add bread slices, turning until lightly browned on both sides. Set aside half for garnish, and when soup has come to a boil, add remaining half to the soup.
• Gently simmer soup for 1 hour, stirring once or twice. The soup will be very thick; if it seems in danger of burning, reduce heat and stir in a small amount of broth or water.
• Add cream, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Using an immersion blender, purée the hot soup in the pot until very smooth. Alternatively, remove soup from heat and allow to cool until no longer steaming, then purée in a food processor or blender. Return soup to a clean pot and reheat gently.
• Pour hot soup into pumpkin. Serve from pumpkin, garnishing each serving with one or two reserved toasts.

POTAGE LYONNAIS (PUMPKIN SOUP LYON-STYLE)

Steps:

• Cut the pumpkin into chunks and peel them.
• Peel the potatoes. Cut them into pieces.
• Melt the butter in a large pot.
• Put the pieces of pumpkin and potatoes stirring every couple of minutes, then cover with water and cook until the pumpkin is tender.
• Meanwhile, cut the Emmental into small pieces.
• When the pumpkin and the potatoes are cooked, puree them into a soup. Season well, add the cream and put on low heat, stirring until the first bubbles. Remove from heat.
• Divide the cheese cubes in bottom of soup plates, pour the soup on top, add a little cream and serve immediately.

GRATINEE LYONNAISE (LYON-STYLE ONION SOUP)

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven or other large pot melt the butter or margarine over med-high heat. Add the onions, salt and pepper, & cook, stirring until golden bown, 15 to 18 miutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat & carefully add the cognac.
• Return the pan to the heat & cook until the alcohol has evaporated. Be careful as the cognac may ignite.
• Add the beef stock & thyme sprigs & bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer & cook the soup for 45 minutes.
• While the soup is simmering, toast the bread slices until light golden brown. Remove from oven.
• Preheat the broiler.
• When the soup is ready, divide 1/2 of the toasted bread slices between 6 individual ovenproof serving bowls or crocks and top with 1/2 of the grated cheese.
• Ladle some of the soup among the bowls and top with the remaining toasts. Ladle the remaining soup among the bowls and top with the remaining cheese.
• Place the bowls on baking sheet and place under the broiler until the cheese is melted, golden brown and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from the oven.
• Optional Topping: In a small bowl combine egg yolks and Port and whisk to thoroughly combine. Pour some of the mixture evenly among the soup bowls, stirring in aroud the edges so that it is incorporate into the soup. (The heat of the soup will cook the egg yolk and this will thicken & enrich the soup.).
• Garnish the top with chopped parsley and serve hot.