Pumpkin-Spiced Carrot Broth

Serves 8 / From Franklin Becker, executive chef, and Fred Brightman, chef de cuisine, Capitale Restaurant, New York City. Although housed in a fabulously restored 1894 building (and adorned by the world’s largest Tiffany ceiling), it’s Capitale’s food that’s getting all the attention, thanks to longtime culinary partners Becker and Brightman. For a potluck, they’d bring this soup, which combines autumn root vegetables with spices traditionally used in pumpkin pie.

20 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 onions, chopped
1 cup chopped celery root
1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup chopped fresh garlic
5-6 tablespoons butter, divided
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
2 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup orange juice
1 quart water
1 quart chicken stock
Salt and white pepper, to taste

1. In a large pot, sweat carrots, onions, celery root, ginger, and garlic in 3 tablespoons butter at very low heat until soft, about 30–45 minutes. Remove vegetables. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the spices. Cook for 5 minutes, gently toasting spices in butter to “bloom” the flavors. Add orange juice and simmer for 5–10 minutes.

2. Return vegetables to pot. Add water and chicken stock, cover, and simmer for 1/2 hour. Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper.

3. Remove bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Transfer soup in batches to a blender and purée until smooth. Return to pan to heat through. Serve hot.