Butternut veloute

By Marlenew

Veloute, from the French for velvet, is a smooth and creamy soup, 10-12 servings..cook 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 small butternut squash, 4 pounds total
• Canola oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1 onion, halved, thinly sliced
• 3 shallots, halved, thinly sliced
• 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth (or water)
• 3 cups heavy cream
• Sage croutons, for garnish, see recipe

Preparation

Step 1

1 Roast: Halve squash the long way. Scrape out and discard seeds and strings. Rub flesh with a little canola oil; season with salt and pepper. Set on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, cut-side down. Slide into a 350-degree oven; roast until skin is blistered and flesh is very tender (poke with a fork, right through the skin), about 45 minutes. Let cool. Scrape out flesh; discard skin.

2 Simmer: In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium. Slide in onions and shallots. Cook, stirring, until translucent, 8 minutes. Pour in broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Drop in roasted squash. In a separate saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour into the soup; simmer, 20 minutes.

3 Serve: Use a stick or standard blender (mindful of that "hot fill" line) to swirl soup completely smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Scoop 1-cup portions into small bowls. Scatter on croutons. Enjoy.

Sage croutons: Cube 6 slices of brioche bread (day-old is best). (For neat cubes, freeze bread first.) In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook until fragrant, a few seconds. Add bread cubes. Cook, tossing often, until croutons are toasty brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Provenance: Adapted from a recipe from Petit Louis Bistro, Baltimore.