TODAY’S RECIPE: Pumpkin & bacon soup

SEASONAL favourite. Serves: 4. Ingredients 1 tbsp vegetable oil 50g butter 1 onion, finely chopped 150g maple-cured bacon, in small pieces ½ Crown Prince pumpkin or onion squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into medium chunks 1 litre chicken stock 100ml double cream 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted maple syrup, for drizzling

Method

1 In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat oil with 25g butter. Add onion and pinch of salt and cook on a low heat for ten minutes or until soft. Add 60g bacon and cook for five more minutes, releasing fat. Then increase heat, add pumpkin and stock and season. Boil, then simmer with a lid on for 40 minutes until pumpkin is soft. Add cream, boil again and remove from heat.

2 Set aside some liquid, then blend remaining pumpkin until smooth, adding liquid to pan bit by bit as you go to thickness you want. Strain through fine sieve, check seasoning and set aside.

3 Melt remaining butter in a pan over high heat and fry rest of bacon with black pepper for five minutes. Divide bacon between four bowls, reheat the soup and pour over. To serve, sprinkle over the pumpkin seeds and drizzle with maple syrup.