Recipe

Soup Joumou, or Haitian squash and meat soup, is a cherished tradition in Haitian culture. I prepared an original dish, inspired by the traditional soup, for the MasterChef finale: A Spicy Squash Soup with Poached Lobster and Caviar. Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Aaron Sanchez all loved it! The recipe is a tad involved, but trust me—it is completely worth it! You’ll be blown away by the textures, flavors, and taste.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

Soup
*3-4 Honeynut or butternut squashes, cut in half (vertically), seeds and soft fibers removed
* 2 Carrots, peeled and diced
* 1 Yellow Onion, diced
* 1 Leek, washed thoroughly, root and dark green removed. White top chopped
* 2 sticks of celery, diced

*2 Garlic Cloves, chopped fine
* 1-Inch Knob of Ginger, peeled and chopped
* 1 Tsp of Cayenne (or less if you prefer less spicy)
* 1 Habanero Pepper or Scotch Bonnet

* 3 Thyme Sprigs
* 2 sticks of celery, diced

*1 Cinnamon Stick
* 2 Star Anise
* 1 Tsp of Cayenne (or less if you prefer less spicy)
* 1 Habanero Pepper or Scotch Bonnet
* 2 Cloves

*1/2 Cup of a Dry White Wine
* 4 Cups Lobster or Seafood Stock (homemade tastes even better)

* 1/4 Cup of Heavy Cream

* Olive or Vegetable Oil

* Salt and Pepper

Sauteed and Pickled Rainbow Chard
* 1 Bunch of Rainbow or Swiss Chard, stems and leafy greens separated, then stems finely diced, stems thinly sliced.
* 1 Cup of Red Wine Vinegar
* 1/2 Cup Water

* 1/2 Cup White Sugar
* 1 Star Anise

* Salt

Poached Lobster

* 3-4 Lobster Tails, cleaned, shells removed, cut into large bite-sized pieces

* 1 Stick Unsalted Butter

* Salt and Pepper

Garnishes (all optional)

* Caviar

* Microgreens

* Gold Leaf

Instructions:

For the Swiss Chard

1.     Prepare ingredients as described above. In a small pot, add red wine vinegar, water, sugar, star anise, and pinch of salt. Bring to boil until sugar completely dissolves.

2.     Once sugar dissolves, remove pickling liquid from heat, set aside.

3.     Place finely diced swiss chard stems into a medium, heat-proof bowl. Add pickling liquid to bowl and let sit.

4.     Heat a pan to medium-heat and drizzle in about a Tbs of olive oil. Once hot, add thinly sliced swiss chard leaves and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once chard is wilted down, turn off heat and set aside.

For the Soup

1.     Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare all ingredients as described above.

2.     Place cut squashes, skin-side down in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Season inside of the squashes liberally with salt and pepper, and drizzle with oil. Flip each squash over on the baking sheet, so skin is facing up. This will allow squash to steam in the oven.

3.     Place baking sheet with prepared squash into heated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until squash is very soft and golden brown. Be careful when handling, they will be hot.

4.     While squash roasts, sweat the vegetables. Heat a large pot with 3 Tbs of olive oil and add prepared carrots, onion, leeks, celery, garlic, ginger, and cayenne. Cook until softened (about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally).

5.     Make a “bouquet garni.” In a spice bag (or cheesecloth with twine), add fresh thyme, cloves, cinnamon stick, habanero pepper, star anise, and tie up the bag so ingredients cannot escape. Toss bag or bundle into pot with softened vegetables.

6.     Add white wine to pot and gently scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer and let reduce. Once wine reduces to about half (roughly 4 minutes), add 3 cups of lobster or seafood stock (reserving one cup, in another pot, keep warm). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7.     Simmer vegetables and stock mixture for about 15 minutes.

8.     Once squash is cooked, scoop out the tender squash with a spoon to separate it from the skin. If squash is still how, use a kitchen towel to hold the squash while scooping out the tender portions away from the skin. Discard the skin and add squash into a blender.

9.     Once the vegetables and stock mixture have reduced by about half, strain the liquid into a clean bowl. Do not discard the liquid!

10.  To the blender with the squash, carefully add the strained liquid and blend until smooth. Add heavy cream and blend briefly to incorporate. If soup is too thick, add more of the warm reserved stock. Season at this stage for salt and pepper. Add finished soup into a clean pot and cover to keep warm.

For the Lobster

1.     Heat a large sauté pan to medium heat. Add butter and allow to melt. Once bubbling, add in chopped lobster meat, season with salt and pepper (to taste). While lobster is cooking, use a large spoon to baste lobster pieces with butter. Once lobster meat turns completely white (about 3-4 minutes), take one piece and cut it in half. If it is also completely white inside, turn off the heat. If not, keep cooking and basting for about a minute longer. Lobster overcooks quickly. You want it to be soft and tender.

Plating:

1.     Serve in shallow bowls (black or a dark bowl will really make it pop).

2.     Ladle the warm soup into the bowls first, then scatter pieces of lobster meat on top of the soup.

3.     Gently lay sauteed swiss chard leaves on top. Drain the swiss chard stems and scatter them on top. The pickled stems are acidic, so use sparingly.

4.     Dollop with a generous amount of caviar, garnish with microgreens and pieces of gold leaf !