Ginger Butternut Squash Bisque

Derek's book dinner is coming — November 6, at his restaurant in Charleston. He sent me the menu: she-crab soup, shrimp and grits, a Lowcountry boil course, fried green tomatoes, and peach cobbler. Five courses, five chapters. Fifty seats, sold out in two days. Fifty people paying to eat my food at Derek's restaurant, and the boy who came through my lunch line hungry is the chef, and I am the guest of honor, and the distance between a school cafeteria and a Charleston restaurant is measured not in miles but in meals.

I'm nervous. Not about the food — the food will be perfect because Derek knows my recipes and his execution is flawless. I'm nervous about the speaking. Derek wants me to introduce each course with the story behind it. Five stories. Five chapters. Fifty people listening. The bookstore was thirty people and mostly family. This is fifty strangers who paid money to hear a sixty-six-year-old woman talk about shrimp.

Kayla says I'll be fine. Denise says I'll be magnificent. Gladys says I should mention that her cobbler is better than the one in the book. I said, "Gladys, it is not, and you know it, and I will not commit perjury in a restaurant." She said, "It's not perjury, it's marketing." That woman.

Tasha is thirty-six weeks. The baby — they know it's a boy this time — is due in three weeks. Marcus calls me every other day with updates: Tasha's tired, Amara keeps asking "when baby come out?", the nursery is painted blue. I said, "What shade of blue?" He said, "Blue." Men.

Made she-crab soup tonight — practice for the dinner, testing the recipe one more time even though I've made it a thousand times. The sherry was perfect. The crab was sweet. The soup was right. Some recipes don't need practice. They need trust. But I practice anyway because the difference between good and perfect is the last rehearsal.

Now go on and feed somebody.

The she-crab soup is Derek’s to execute on November 6th, and I’ve made my peace with trusting him to carry it. But the night I stirred that pot — testing a recipe I’ve made a thousand times, just to feel the ritual of it — I remembered why I love a bisque: the slow coaxing, the moment the cream goes in and everything softens into something greater than its parts. This ginger butternut squash bisque gives me that same feeling, a different season’s version of the same lesson. When I can’t be in Charleston yet, I can still be at a stove, and that is enough.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash (about 3 lbs), peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt and black pepper to taste
Sour cream or crème fraîche, for garnish (optional)
Toasted pepitas, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Sauté the aromatics. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and grated ginger and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Add the squash and spices. Stir in the cubed butternut squash, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Season generously with salt and pepper, tossing to coat everything evenly.
Simmer until tender. Pour in the broth and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the squash is completely tender and yields easily to a fork.
Blend until silky. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup directly in the pot until completely smooth. Alternatively, transfer in batches to a countertop blender, venting the lid carefully. Return the blended soup to the pot over low heat.
Finish with cream. Stir in the heavy cream and heat gently for 3 to 5 minutes, tasting and adjusting salt and pepper as needed. Do not boil after adding the cream.
Serve and garnish. Ladle into warmed bowls. Add a small dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche and a sprinkle of toasted pepitas if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ginger Butternut Squash Bisque — Practicing Until the Soup Is Right