Recipe - Toasted Calabaza And Apple Bisque

6 Garlic cloves; peel
2 pound Calabaza or other winter
squash; peel, seed, 2"
chunks
2 tablespoon Unsalted butter; opt
4 cup Chicken or vegetable stock
3 lg Macintosh or rome apples;
peel, core, 2" wedges
2 tablespoon Vegetable oil
2 md Onions; chop
One half teaspoon Ground nutmeg
One fourth teaspoon Ground cinnamon
One half teaspoon Ground allspice
One half cup Goodquality dark rum
Salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoon Toasted almond slices
One half cup Heavy cream; garnish

(ROASTED CALABAZA AND APPLE BISQUE WITH RUM AND TOASTED ALMONDS). Preheat
the oven to 350~. Spread the garlic and calabaza in a roasting pan, drizzle
with butter if using, and 1 cup of the stock. Roast for 20 minutes. Add the
apples to the pan, stirring to coat, and roast for 30 to 40 minutes more,
until vegetables are very tender. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large, heavy
skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir
in the nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice, and cook 2 minutes more. Add the
rum, increase heat to high, and boil until it is reduced by half and no
longer has a raw alcohol smell, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool
slightly. Working in batches, puree the roasted apples, calabaza and garlic
and the sauteed onion mixture in a blender or food processor (a blender
works best), moistening as necessary with stock. Combine it in a large
saucepan with the remaining stock, and season to taste with salt and
pepper. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish each portion with 1 tb
of cream and a sprinkling of almonds. Source: Adapted from Chef Susan
Ferry. The Miami Herald. MM Waldine Van Geffen vghc42a@prodigy.com.
Posted to MCRecipe Digest by "M. Hicks" nitro_ii@email.msn.com on Feb 4,
1998