Oh right, work takes a lot of time out of your day!
So let me ease back into a post with a simple Pumpkin Curry Soup with spicy grilled prawns!
Ingredients:
(1) Sugar pie pumpkin
(1) Box of chicken Stock (4 cups)
(1) Can coconut milk- light is better
(2) Cloves garlic
1/2 c chopped onion
Cajun Seasoning (Penzy baby!)
Sweet Curry Powder (yellow- Penzy again)
Kosher Salt
Course Black Pepper
Olive Oil
Prawns, about 6 per person unless they are really big ones- then 4
Pumpkin Seeds: Are delicious! Clean the pulp off your seeds, spread seeds on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and liberally season with Cajun seasoning and kosher salt (garlic salt would be good too) and roast along with your pumpkin stirring them around every 10 minutes or so until they are crisp. ( I think mine took about 30 minutes) yummy as a garnish on the soup, a salad or just to munch on!
Ok, back to the soup...
Chop your onion and garlic, saute in your heavy soup pot with some olive oil until translucent.
This is an enameled cast iron dutch oven, I got a Chef's Brand at Tuesdays for $40. Way less expensive then the $300 Le Creuset and just as heavy, durable and heat dissipating I would guess. Easy to clean too.
Chop your pumpkin into 1-2 inch pieces and add to the pot with the onions and garlic. My pumpkin yielded about 3-4 cups of chunks.
Season well with the Cajun (1t), the curry (1t) and salt & pepper to taste. Pour in the box of chicken stock, I like the Costco brand, its' not too salty and is actually organic, bonus!
In the words of the immortal Chef Anne Burrell "BTBRTS": Bring to boil, reduce to simmer!
Let your soup simmer at least 20-30 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. While the pot is simmering away, prep your shrimp for the BBQ. I skewer mine and season with more Penzy Cajun and a pinch of S&P (salt & pepper people, stay with me!) Grill them off! (This is Brant's job)
I also prefer home-made croutons. And why would you NOT make them yourself?
TIP: Every time you have a piece or 2 of leftover or old bread (no mold!) cube it up and toss in a zip bag in the freezer to have on hand.
Pull out 2 cups of bread cubes, Place on the baking sheet you used for the seeds, drizzle with olive oil and season as you wish (me again with the Cajun, S&P) and bake stirring frequently until coated, seasoned and crispy 10 or 15 minutes at 350 should do it.
Back to your soup: You have simmered and melded. Time to bring it all together! If you don't have a boat-motor, add it to your Christmas list. Mine is a Cuisinart Stick Blender and I got it at Macy's on sale during the Holidays for about $19 bucks. If you don't have a stick blender, a regular hand mixer will do the trick. I don't recommend using a blender as hot liquids can explode everywhere possibly burning you and certainly making a hug mess (Have you ever seen this happen on chopped? Even chefs can make this mistake if not done very carefully!)
Slowly blend your soup to smooth out the pumpkin chunks. TASTE IT NOW, this is a fine time to add a bit more seasoning if you want to.
Shake your can of coconut milk well, it has a tendency to settle. Open it up, I use a church key and just punch a tiny air hole on one side and 2 triangle openings on the other, now stir into your soup. Not only is this adding a bit of coco-nutty good sweetness but it gives the soup a velvety texture.
Enjoy this beautiful, rich, spicy and sweet taste of fall with a crisp Dry Riesling or a big buttery Chardonnay.
Penzy: www.penzeys.com is my go-to for all things herbs, spices and seasonings. I have been buying online from them for years (like almost 20!) They have a few brick-and-mortar stores across the county. Downtown Seattle closed but I think they are looking for a new location with better parking.
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