Winter Squash Chowder
Adapted from Andrea Bemis’ Local Dirt
Ingredients
4 bacon slices, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried sage
pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper
2 medium potatoes (go ahead, use those blue ones!), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 winter squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
3 cups beef broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
minced parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven over medium head, cook the bacon until it is crispy. Remove bacon from DO and set aside.
- Remove all but 1 Tbs of fat and return to medium heat. Add onion, garlic, sage, nutmeg, pinch of salt, 1 tsp of pepper. Cook until the vegetables are soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the potatoes and squash, stir, and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add the wine and bay leaf and bring to a boil, stirring up all the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the DO. Add the broth, reduce heat to low, and gently simmer until the potatoes and squash are tender.
- Purée until smooth 1/3 of the mixture in a blender, return to pot, and stir in cream. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
- Remove the bay leaf, ladle into bowls, and top with bacon and parsley.
