Butternut Squash Soup

Yeild: 6 lit

Ingredients:

• 230 gm french bread
• 60 gm butter
• 60 gm  butter
• 230 gm onion, small dice
• 230 gm  leek, small dice
• 340 gm  carrot, small dice
• 1.8 kg  butternut squash, medium dice
• 5 lit  chicken stock
• 8 gm  salt
• 3 gm ground white pepper
• 3 gm ground allspice
• 3 gm ground ginger
• 24 no croutons
• 680 gm tart, firm cooking apple
• 30 gm butter
• 60 gm brown sugar
• 350 ml heavy cream (optional)
• as needed additional heavy cream or crème fraîche for garnis

Procedure:

1. Cut the bread into 1 cm thick slices .
2. Fry the bread in 60 g butter till golden brown ... prepare additional croutons for garnish at the same time ... step 8
3. Heat 60 g butter in a sauce pot over moderately low heat.
4. Add onions, leeks, and carrots ... Sweat them till they about half cooked ... Do not brown them.
5. Add squash, stock, and browned bread from step 2 ... Simmer till vegetables are tender.
6. Purée soup with blender.
7. Bring the soup back to a simmer ... Taste ... adjust seasonings.
8. Prepare crouton by browning slices of French bread in 30 g butter as in steps 1 and 2 .. . use slender loaf so croutons aren't too big.
9. Peel and core apples ... Cut into small dice.
10. Heat butter in a sauté pan and add apples and sugar. Cook over moderate heat till apple are brown and caramelized.
11. before service ...  heat heavy cream (if used) ... add to the soup.
12. For each portion ... ladle the soup into a broad soup plate ... Decorate the top of the soup with a swirl of cream, if desired ... Heap a generous tablespoonful of apple onto a crouton and carefully place in the soup.