Years ago, I spent a month in Nepal trekking around Mt. Everest, so for obvious reasons, I was excited to see Everest, the movie. Right off the bat, let me say that I can be a little bit of a ditz. About three weeks ago, I saw a blurb about the movie and thought I read that it opened that day. I promptly signed on to Fandango and bought tickets for Friday night.
Jim and I made it to the theatre promptly at 7:30 for the 8:00 movie. When the ticket taker scanned our tickets, they were rejected, but seeing that we had what appeared to be legitimate tickets, she let us in any way. As we walked past the 24 theatres, Everest was nowhere to be found. After a quick review of our tickets, I realized opening night was two weeks later. Oops!!
Our second attempt to see the movie was two weeks later on opening night with our friends, Bill and Cesar. We arrived at the theatre in plenty of time for the 8:00 movie only to find out that the theatre rescheduled the showing to 7:15!
Feeling disheartened about our second unsuccessful attempt to see Everest, we decided to make the best of the situation and have dinner at one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants. Ian Winslade, executive chef at Murphy’s, cranks out some of the freshest and most creative food in Atlanta.
By far, the highlight of the dinner was a Winter Squash Soup. It’s rare that I make an audible “mmmm” sound when I’m dining in public, but this soup invoked one. The waiter described the soup as we ordered, so I knew that coconut milk gave it a creamy texture. Candied ginger added a sweetness and spice that made for a perfect combination of flavors.
I love the challenge of trying to duplicate a dish that I’ve had in a restaurant. Today’s post features my version of this Winter Squash Soup. Make use of seasonal butternut and acorn squash and put this soup on your autumn menu.
Finally, the third time was the charm. We saw Everest last night and it was well worth the wait.
Ingredients
1 small butternut squash
1 small acorn squash
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, separated
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup roughly chopped candied (crystalized) ginger
1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
Sliced candied ginger (for garnish)
Thyme sprigs (for garnish)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut butternut and acorn squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Brush cut sides of squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place cut side up on baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until flesh is easily pierced with a paring knife. Cool slightly and scoop out squash flesh from skins.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium high heat. Transfer onion to pot and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and continue sauteing for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Transfer squash, chicken stock, salt, and pepper to pot, stirring to combine. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Add ginger to pot and stir to combine. In batches, transfer soup to blender and process until smooth and ginger is completely blended. Transfer back to soup pot, add coconut milk, and stir until well combined. Add additional chicken/vegetable stock if soup is too thick. Heat thoroughly. Ladle into soup bowls; garnish with ginger slices and thyme; and serve immediately.
Notes
I first tried blending the soup in a food processor, but the ginger didn't get completely pulverized. I recommend using a blender instead.
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Bill Harris
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