Guest Chef Recipe: Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Peekytoe Crab from Jay Murray, Grill 23

Jay Murray, executive chef for Grill 23 in Boston, shares with Wine Unleashed his recipe for Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Peekytoe Crab, Golden Raisins and Toasted Almonds. Chef Murray is an award-winning chef, culinary scholar and “flavor theorist”. What all this means is that he takes his food and flavors very seriously. The outcome is food that’s flavorful and thoughtful. When I made this recipe, I thought, “Seems straightforward enough.” Well, to my palate's surprise, I was rewarded with layers of flavor, all that support the sweetness and richness of the crab. If Chef Murray was a painter, he could not have created a prettier picture. The suggested pairing of the Auxerrois from this month’s selection adds to the symphony of flavors. The acid in the wine keeps everything in check and the body supports the richness. When you are in Boston next... check out Grill 23 for Chef Murray’s other creations.


Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Peekytoe Crab, Golden Raisins and Toasted Almonds 

Peekytoe Crab Salad

• ¼ cup maple syrup and ¼ cup water, simmered together 5 minutes and cooled
• to room temperature
• 2 tbsp golden raisins, soaked in maple/water mixture 2 hours
• ½ lb Peekytoe crab, picked through for shell
• 2 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted
• 2 scallions, white and light green only, sliced thin
• 2 tsp fresh orange juice
• 1 tsp grated orange zest
• 1 tsp minced parsley
• salt and pepper to taste 

1. Remove raisins from maple/water mixture and discard liquid. 
2. Gently fold together all ingredients, careful not to break up crabmeat.
3. Season to taste.

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1 onion, large dice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp chopped rosemary
• 3 tbsp maple syrup 
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 qt chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Toss together butternut squash, onion, garlic, rosemary, maple syrup, vegetable oil, salt and pepper and place in a baking dish.
2. Roast this mixture until butternut begins to brown (about 45 minutes) checking often so it doesn’t burn. 
3. Remove from oven and transfer butternut mixture to a soup pot over low heat.
4. Add butter and continue to cook for10 minutes.
5. Add chicken stock and increase heat to medium. Bring to a simmer and cook 1 hour.
6. Puree mixture in batches in a blender. This is best done by pureeing the solids first and then adding the liquid slowly as the blender runs.
7. Pass soup through a fine chinois or sieve. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add additional maple syrup if desired.
8. Divide soup between 4 bowls and top with the Peekytoe Crab Salad in center of each.