butternut squash soup with salt cod
crema di zucca con baccalà
4 servings
Ingredients
1/2 pound skinless, boneless salt cod (baccalà), rinsed well
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
1 large shallot, minced
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (4 cups)
1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
Coarse sea salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Cover cod with 2 inches of cold water in a large bowl and soak, chilled, changing water 3 times a day, until a small piece tastes pleasantly salty but not overwhelming, 1 to 3 days.
In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat; add shallot and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add squash and potato; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add water to just cover vegetables (about 2 cups) and pinch salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. In batches, carefully purée soup in a blender until smooth. Return soup to pot.
Drain cod and combine it with wine, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, parsley and garlic in a medium saucepan. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-low heat. Reduce heat to very low and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl; stir 1/2 cup into soup. Thin soup with water or more cooking liquid to taste, to desired consistency.
Cut cod into bite-size pieces.
Bring soup to a simmer. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are opaque, about 3 minutes. Remove pot from heat. Gently stir in cod. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve drizzled with oil.
Other recipes you might like
Glossary
Understanding Italian food terms
Crescenza
A cousin of Stracchino, Crescenza is a mild, fresh cow's milk cheese from Lombardy with a lower fat c...
© 2010 Quadratum USA. All rights reserved.








