Diana Henry’s version of a soup from Trout Point Lodge in Nova Scotia which combines the Cajun flavours found in New Orleans with local ingredients.
Ingredients
- 25 g butter
- 1 onion peeled and finely chopped
- 1 stick celery finely chopped
- 1/2 green pepper deseeded and cut into small squares
- 2 large plum tomatoes chopped
- 600 g butternut squash deseeded, peeled and the flesh cut into 3cm cubes
- 1/2 tsp ground cayenne
- good pinch ground allspice
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 litre fish stock
- small bunch of basil leaves chopped
- 2 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 50-75 ml double cream plus extra for swirling
- 400-500 g raw prawns
Servings:
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan and add the onion, celery, pepper, tomatoes and squash. Cook over a medium heat until the pepper is soft and the onions are soft and translucent. Keep checking to make sure the mixture is moist enough to stop it catching on the bottom of the pan. Add a couple of tablespoons of hot water from time to time to keep it moist.
- Add the spices and garlic and cook for a further two minutes, stirring a little .Pour on the fish stock, season, then bring to the boil and add half the basil and half the parsley. Turn down to a simmer and cook until the squash is completely tender, about 20 minutes.
- Leave to cool then purée in a food processor or blender. Add the cream to taste. Put into a clean saucepan and add the prawns. They will cook in the time it takes the soup to come to a boil. (Keep some of the prawns back for a garnish if you like, in which case just sauté them in butter for a minute or so before serving on top of the soup.)
- Add the rest of the basil and parsley. Serve with a swirl of cream, and a sprinkling of ground cayenne or paprika.
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