©Scott Harris
Farm Fresh, Smoked Pumpkin Soup
by Scott Harris
“One of the first family recipes we created was our annual pumpkin soup,” says Scott Harris. “This year, my wife said, ‘No way! You’re not going to turn on that oven and heat up the house!’ So, I had an ah-ha moment and thought, ‘Why can’t I simply smoke the pumpkin on the grill outside?’ AH HA! A new addition to our family of recipes was born!”
Ingredients:
· Your favorite California old vine Zinfandel (“My new favorite.”)
· 3-4 hickory wood chunks soaked in water and several coal briquettes
· 3-4 sugar pumpkins (“The best ones are hiding out at your local farm. Don’t use the one from your neighbor’s Halloween decoration,” says Harris.)
· 1 large yellow onion
· 2 large shallots
· 5 cloves of garlic
· 4 cups chicken broth (“Make your own broth quickly by simply simmering fresh chicken wings!”)
· Brown sugar
· 1 stick of real butter (“If you use anything other than real butter, please return your cooking license,” jokes Harris.)
· 1/2 cups heavy wiping cream (“The heavier, the better!”)
· Powdered Korean red pepper (“If you don’t have a Korean mother-in-law, try using cayenne.”)
· Fresh oregano
· Fresh rosemary
· Course sea salt (“God did not create all salts equal. The salt of the earth is not as good as the one from the sea,” says Harris.)
· Apple smoked bacon (“You can substitute with bacon bits if you don’t feel like being Martha Stewart.”)
· Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (“Buy a beautiful aged block,” suggests Harris.)
· Baby pumpkins for serving bowls
©Scott Harris
Directions:
1. Open the bottle of wine and pour a glass…this is for you!
2. Wash, halve, and use an ice cream scooper to remove the loose flesh and seeds. Keep the seeds!
3. Walk to your barbecue and place the briquettes in an aluminum tray, light the briquettes, and when smoldering, add the soaked wood chunks on top to start the smoking and move off to the side. Light a burner to medium.
4. Place the pumpkins on the barbecue grill flesh side up and smoke and bake for approximately 20 minutes with the lid closed. Wait until the flesh becomes soft enough to scoop like melted caramel ice cream. (Try to watch as to not burn the flesh.)
5. Mince the onion, garlic, and shallots, and sauté in a 5 qt. pot with butter until they are soft and become translucent. (Try to not give in and start eating the pumpkin while you are waiting.)
6. Put the velvety, smoky, caramelized pumpkin mix into the pot with the savory root goodness above.
7. Turn the heat to medium/low and slowly start to blend the chicken broth into the smoked pumpkin mix until it starts to slightly boil. Adjust the broth amount as needed.
8. Add butter, heavy cream, cayenne, brown sugar, herbs, and salt to taste.
9. Simmer until all is well blended, about 5-10 minutes, and move the soup into your favorite food processor or blender in batches. Whip the machine to high until it’s pureed!
10. Return the velvet mix to the stove and add more stock if needed to thin out if desired. (But keep it thick.)
11. If you’re crazy like I am, you’re now cooking your bacon to get it ready for the topper, carving out baby pumpkins for your bowls, and seasoning the pumpkin seeds to put into the oven for tomorrow’s snacks.
12. Ladle the soup into your carved out pumpkin bowls. Garnish with a swirl of heavy cream on top, sprinkle the fresh oregano, and shave the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on top. Oh, and don’t forget the apple wood bacon on top!
13. Repeat step one and enjoy! Your family will love you and watch out…they may forever ask you to bring this heavenly soup to every holiday meal!
Read more Recipes on ClicheMag.com
BY MEGAN PORTORREAL
