Well first, the title is a bit of a misnomer, because what's actually called for is squash, and not pumpkin. Second, it requires slab bacon, which is something I've never before bought, but have always been curious about. I was able to source some from a woman who sells organic and heritage pork products at the Ottawa Lansdowne Farmers Market. Slab bacon is not cured, meaning it won't keep like traditinal bacon. Apparently you can slice it thinly, sprinkle it with salt, and cook in a frying pan to make your own crispy bacon. I didn't try that technique, but I still have half my slab in the freezer, so a future experiment might be called for. Plus, when I was buying this, there were many other customers at the stand who said they have sworn off regular style bacon because this method is so much better.
Here's what the slad (or side) bacon looks like. As you can see, it's pretty fatty, as I suppose all bacon is. I froze it briefly so that it was pretty easy to slice thickly and cut into lardons. By the way, this bacon came from a heritage Tamworth piggy.
And this is what it looks like after it has been cooked with the veggies. I won't lie, it is basically just a bunch of fatty bits. You'll probably be pretty scared at this point -- I know I was -- but try to think of that bacon as flavour. And it all gets blended in the end anyway, so you won't actually end up chewing one of those nuggets.
So while the bacon's cooking away, you get started on the pumpkin/squash. This one's a hubbard, and it was a beast to chop. You need your biggest chef's knife and a lot of strength. I opted for the fantastically safe method of stabbing it with my knife, and then flinging it against the counter until it broke in half. Hey, I still have both eyes, and all my fingers, so it worked out okay.
See? All chopped up and nary a fingertip in sight. (That's because all my flesh had worn away by this point.)
And this is the soup avec stock and simmering squash. Those white bits are still bacon (yep, may look like gnocchi, but it's not).
And here's the final product, all blended up. I have to say that I was skeptical about the outcome, but it turned out all right. The soup has a pretty rich, creamy flavour, mostly from the bacon. Because the slab bacon wasn't smoked, you don't get that smoky, bacony flavour in the soup, but instead there's a kind of earthy layer that offsets the sweetness of the squash.
I'm not sure if I would heartily recommend this recipe, but if you're looking for a bit of a twist on a traditional squash soup concoction, you might give this a try. Plus, a pork farmer will thank you!
Pumpkin and Bacon Soup
(Published in the Ottawa Citizen, but orginally from Fat by Jennifer McLagan)
Makes 3L
8 ounces (225g) side (slab) bacon
1 large onion, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 large sprig fresh sage
1 hubbard squash, or other firm, dry pumpkin or winter squash, about 3 1/3 pounds (1.5 kg)
8 cups water
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1.Remove rind and any hard, dry skin from the bacon. Cut the bacon into ¼ inch dice.
2.Place a large saucepan over low head. Add bacon pieces and cook gently so they render their fat. When most of the fat is rendered, add onion, celery, sage, stirring to coat with the fat. Cook until vegetables soften slightly, about 7 minutes.
3.Cut squash into quarters and remove seeds. Peel squash and coarsely chop into smaller, even-sized pieces. Set aside.
4.Pour 1 cup of the water into the pan with vegetables, increase heat to high and using a wooden spoon, deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. Add the remaining water, squash, 1 tbsp of salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered until squash is very soft, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove sage and let soup cool slightly.
5.Puree soup in batches, in a blender or food processor and pour into a clean saucepan. Taste and adjust seasoning, then reheat to serve.
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