Red Curry Coconut Pumpkin Bisque with Crab served inside of a Pumpkin
A bold, flavorful, well-balanced soup that will leave an impact on your guests and serve as a strong overture to the meal.
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Mandoline (unless you have good knife skills)
- 1 Pumpkin Carving Knife
- 1 Can Opener
Ingredients
- Small Pie Pumpkins (one for each person eating)
- 1 29 oz can Pumpkin
- 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 3 14 oz cans Coconut Milk
- 2 Red Bell Peppers thinly sliced
- 1 Large Yellow Onion thinly sliced
- 2 Habanero Peppers minced
- 4oz Thai Red Curry Paste
- 5 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 inch knob Ginger grated
- 1-2 Limes
- 1 lb Crab Meat
- Cilantro (for garnish)
- 14 oz Soft Tofu cubed
- 8 Shallots thinly sliced with mandolin
- Thai Basil chiffonaded (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° (Fahrenheit)
- Carve a clean lid off the top of each pumpkin, then scoop out and clean the insides, reserving seeds for later if you want to roast them as a snack. Lightly salt the pumpkin's walls and rub all over with olive oil.
- Slice a thin layer off the bottom if needed to keep pumpkins from rolling, then place on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for approximately 45 minutes.
- Place thinly sliced shallots in a saucepan with enough oil to submerge, then cook on medium-low for approximately 20-25 minutes, stirring often. Once lightly golden brown, drain through a mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl, reserving oil for other uses. Shake shallots onto paper towels and gently blot.
- Heat large pot over medium-high heat until hot, then sauté the bell peppers, onion, and habaneros with some oil and for about three minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, add a pinch of salt, and gently sauté for about 20 minutes, or until vegetables are starting to brown and sweeten.
- Make some space in the center of the pot, then add the garlic, ginger, and curry paste with some more oil. Sauté for another minute or two, until fragrant.
- Add coconut milk and puréed pumpkin and thoroughly stir.
- Turn heat up to medium and bring to a simmer, then stir in lime juice, fish sauce, tofu, and half of the crab meat. Simmer for a few minutes.
- Place each roasted pumpkin on a small plate, then ladle in soup. Add a nice pile of crab meat on top and garnish with generous herbs and fried shallots.
- Serve with lid on and enjoy.