Roasted Butternut Squash Soup With Duck Confit And Pomegranate Seeds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a baking dish large enough to fit the squash. Season the flesh of the squash with salt and white pepper.

Place squash cut side down in prepared dish. Pierce each squash half several times with toothpick or skewer. Bake until squash is tender, about 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Scoop flesh of squash out of skin. Place squash in a food processor and discard skin.

Add 1 cup of chicken stock, cayenne and honey to the squash. Puree in food processor until smooth.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add butter and melt. Once butter is melted, add squash puree and stir, combining butter and puree.

Fold creme fraiche into squash until thoroughly combined. Check soup consistency. If it needs to be thinner, add some of the additional chicken stock that you have set aside, and stir. When your soup has reached the desired consistency, stop adding stock.

Bring soup to a light simmer over medium heat. When it is heated through, add salt and white pepper to taste. Keep warm while preparing garnish.

To prepare garnish, remove skin, sinew and bones from duck and shred meat.

Place the meat in a 350 degrees F oven, covered with tinfoil, for 5 minutes to warm the meat through.

Slice the pomegranate in half. Remove seeds from half the pomegranate with your fingers.

To serve, place duck confit in bottom of bowl. Add soup. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and minced chervil.

Recipe Source: Chef Martial Noguier, One Sixty blue restaurant, Chicago