Kabocha Squash Soup

Spaghetti Squash, Burdock Fritter, Lotus Root Tuile, Osetra Caviar, Fresh Origins Petite Pumpkin Green

Chefs Jiwon Kim and Sungchul Shim of Kochi | New York

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Adapted by StarChefs | december 2022

INGREDIENTS:

Kabocha Squash Soup:
6 pounds kabocha squash, halved and seeded
Olive oil
50 grams brown butter
1½ cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons plum syrup
Fig vinegar
Salt
Sugar

Spaghetti Squash:
3 pounds spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon smoked olive oil
1 tablespoon white soy sauce
Salt

Lotus Root Tuile:
1 sheet kombu
1 lotus root, peeled
Olive oil

Burdock Fritter:
1 cup soy sauce
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 burdock root, peeled and cut into 1-centimeter pieces
100 grams havarti
450 grams mascarpone
230 grams parmesan
470 grams pressed silken tofu
50 grams sugar
30 grams rice vinegar
10 grams Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce

To Assemble and Serve:
Flour
Egg
Breadcrumbs
3 grams Osetra caviar
2 pieces Fresh Origins petite pumpkin green

METHOD:

For the Kabocha Squash Soup:
Heat combination oven to 365°F and 60 percent humidity. In a hotel pan, place kabocha squash. Add olive oil and toss to coat. Cover with aluminum foil. Roast 40 minutes, or until soft and fork tender. Scoop out flesh of squash and reserve. Discard skins. In a rondeau over medium heat, melt brown butter. Add the cooked squash and sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the squash. Add 1½ cups water and bring to a boil. Add heavy cream and bring to another rolling boil. The liquid should cover all of the squash, add more water and heavy cream if needed. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Transfer to a Vitamix blender and pureé until smooth. Strain through a fine chinois into a non-reactive container. Season with maple syrup, plum syrup, fig vinegar, salt and sugar. Keep warm.

For the Spaghetti Squash Noodles:
Heat combination oven to 365°F and 60 percent humidity On a sheet tray, place squash and roast 25 minutes, or until slightly al dente texture. The squash should have a firm, but slightly crunchy texture. Using a fork, remove the squash flesh from the skin, forming noodle-like strings. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine olive oil and white soy sauce. Add squash noodles and toss to coat. Season with salt and keep warm.

For the Lotus Root Tuile
Heat oven to 320°F. In a small pot, add kombu and water. Bring to a boil. Remove from kombu and set aside. Add lotus root and blanch 4 minutes, then immediately shock in an ice bath. Once cooled, slice lotus root into 1-millimeter slices. Dry well and set aside. On a sheet tray, place silpat and brush with olive oil. Lay lotus root slices on the silpat. Brush with more olive oil. Place another silpat on top of the lotus root. Bake 20 minutes, or until crispy.

For the Burdock Fritter:
In a rondeau over medium heat, combine soy sauce, water, and sugar. Add burdock and braise until tender. Remove from liquid and set aside. In a Vitamix blender, add all cheeses, tofu and 650 grams of the braised burdock. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl and fold in all remaining ingredients. Divide mixture into 1-inch half-circle molds and freeze overnight. The next day, heat deep fryer to 350°F. Remove burdock mixture from molds and push 2 frozen fritter pieces together to create a circle. Bread with flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. The frozen pieces will melt a bit during the process and stick together. Fry 3 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside.

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