This starter celebrates the exquisite versatility of squash, making the most of butternut, pumpkin seed and pumpkin oil and is easy to make.
Yorkshire's epicureans have a lot to thank Simon Gueller for.
Here's a chef who creates tasteful dishes with local tastes; who produces refined, lovely looking food.
Ingredients
100g of butter
2 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves
1000g of butternut squash
2l vegetable stock
200g of double cream
200g of pumpkin seeds, toasted
50g of pumpkin seed oil
50g of extra virgin olive oil
50g of water
50g of sugar
200g of butternut squash
100ml of rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp of pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 handful of micro herbs
Pumpkin seed oil
Salt
Method
To make the velouté, place a heavy-based pan and add the butter. Once foaming, add the onion and sweat until soft but not coloured, then add the garlic and cook out for an additional 3-4 minutes.
Peel and roughly dice the squash. Add to the pan and stir to coat in the onion, garlic and butter for 5 minutes. Add the stock and cook until the squash is soft and tender. Add the cream, bring to a simmer and remove from the heat.
Place in a blender and blitz until very smooth. Season to taste and pass through a fine strainer before setting aside to cool. For the pumpkin seed paste combine all of the ingredients together in a blender and blitz until smooth. Season to taste and set aside.
For the pickled butternut squash, bring the vinegar, water and sugar to the boil in a pan, then reduce the heat but keep hot. Use a peeler to take thin strips off the butternut squash and place into the hot pickling liquor. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Reheat the velouté and use a stick blender to froth slightly. Pour into warm serving bowls, wrap a strip of pickled squash around your finger to form a ring and place into the soup. Finish with a swipe of the pumpkin seed paste, a drizzle of the oil, the toasted seeds and the micro herbs. Serve immediately.
Visit GreatBritishChefs.com for more velouté recipes.
*The Independent