Butternut Squash Soup with Brown Butter, Sage and Nutmeg Crème Fraîche
from Thomas Keller's award-winning and best-selling cookbook, Bouchon

FG: This is a savory version of squash soup that combines onions and carrots with the squash and has all the flavors of Thanksgiving. I like the idea of adding the crème fraîche to the bowls of soup. A more economical option would be sour cream. This soup is served cold, but could be served hot. Another nice touch, I would like to try, is to top it all off with some fried sage leaves. To make them, wash the leaves and dry. Heat a pan of oil just deep enough to fry the leaves. When hot, add the leaves and fry for only about 30 seconds. Drain on absorbent towels. They come out nice and crisp and have a wonderful flavor.

"Butternut squash, brown butter and sage are a classic combination in various cuisines, whether as soup, sauce, or pasta," Keller writes in the recipe notes. "This recipe combines roasted squash with sauteed squash, onions, and carrots, then is finished in vegetable stock and pureed for a soup that's a little thicker and more substantial than a cream soup.

"We like to make this a day ahead because the butternut squash gets sweeter if it rests," Keller continues. "When serving, be care not to burn the butter - as soon as it hits an aromatic hazelnut brown, add it to the soup, which will stop the butter's cooking as it seasons the soup."

1 (3 to 3 1/2-pound) butternut squash
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided use
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 sage sprigs
1 cup thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons honey
6 cups vegetable stock, plus extra if necessary
1 bouquet garni (using 8 thyme sprigs, 2 Italian parsley sprigs, 2 bay leaves and 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns)
1/4 cup crème fraîche
Freshly grated nutmeg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced chives
Extra virgin olive oil

For soup: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line small baking sheet with aluminum foil. Chop neck off squash and set aside. Cut bulb in 1/2 and scoop out seeds. Brush each piece inside and out using 1 tablespoon canola oil. Season inside with salt and pepper, and place a sage sprig into each. Place cut side down on baking sheet and bake 1 hour, or until completely tender.

Remove squash from oven and set aside to cool until it can be handled. Scoop out and reserve flesh, discard sage.

Meanwhile, using paring knife or sharp vegetable peeler, peel skin from reserved neck of squash until you reach bright orange flesh. Cut squash into roughly 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups).

Put remaining canola oil in stockpot over medium-high heat. Add leeks, carrots, shallots and onions. Cook and stir often, about 6 minutes. Add diced squash, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cook gently 3 minutes reducing heat as necessary to keep garlic and squash from coloring. Stir in honey, and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add stock and bouquet garni, bring to a simmer and cook about 15 minutes, or until squash is tender.

Add reserved roasted squash and simmer gently 30 minutes. Remove from heat and discard bouquet garni.

Transfer soup to blender in batches and puree. Strain soup through fine strainer tapping side as it passes through. Taste and adjust seasoning, add more stock if too thick. Let cool and refrigerate until read to serve.

To serve: Place crème fraîche in small chilled metal bowl, stir in nutmeg to taste. Whisk creme fraiche until it holds shape. Cover and refrigerate.

Heat medium skillet over high heat. When very hot, add butter and rotate pan over heat as necessary to brown butter evenly, scraping up bits that settle on bottom. As soon as foaming subsides butter is hazelnut brown, pour into pot of soup.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top with a dollop of crème fraîche. Grind black pepper over top and garnish each with minced chives. Drizzle a little olive oil over top.

Yields 4 to 6 servings.

- Adapted from Bouchon.