Roasted butternut squash soup: Recipe by Hotel Georgie chef David Hawksworth, who recently hosted a group of McNair secondary culinary students.
Serves: 10 Ingredients: 3 butternut squash, halved and seeded 1 leek, washed and jullienned half an onion, julienned 1 ribs celery, julienned half a bulb fennel, core removed, julienned 150 ml olive oil 5L chicken stock (or veg stock)
Sachet: 1 tbsp fennel seed half tbsp coriander seed 5 pc allspice 1/4 pc nutmeg 2 bay leaves 5 sprigs thyme
Method: Preheat oven to 400F. Toss squash with olive oil and salt, arrange cut side down on a parchment lined sheet tray. Bake until juices caramelize and squash is soft when pierced with a knife.
While squash is roasting, heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed 16L stainless steel pot. Add white mirepoix and salt. Mix with wooden spoon to coat vegetables. Sweat over medium heat until translucent, add stock and sachet and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium low heat for 30 minutes.
Remove squash from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes, scoop the flesh out with a large spoon and add to pot.
Remove sachet and blitz soup in pot with an immersion blender. Transfer in small batches to a vitamix blender, blend on high speed for three minutes and pass through a fine chinois.
Season with lemon juice and salt - cool immediately.
