Pumpkin Soup in a Pumpkin
6 cups chicken stock2 to 3 cups pared pumpkin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 thyme leaves
5 peppercorns
1 medium sugar pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
1 tsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
In a covered saucepan, heat the stock, cubed pumpkin, onion, garlic, salt, thyme, and peppercorns to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered 20 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup of the pumpkin with a slotted spoon; reserve. Simmer remaining pumpkin mixture, uncovered 20 minutes longer; transfer to large bowl. Preheat the oven to 350 cut the top off the sugar pumpkin and remove the seeds. Place the pumpkin on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Set aside in a warm spot. Puree 2 cups of the pumpkin mixture in a blender of food processor; return pureed mixture to the pot. Repeat with remaining pumpkin mixture. Heat pureed mixture to boiling: reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir warm cream and reserved pumpkin into soup. Place the warmed sugar pumpkin on a platter. Ladle the soup in and garnish with parsley. Serve hot.