Recipe: Chef's Station Sweet Potato Bisque with Lemon Ricotta Cream and Seville Orange Gelee)

SWEET POTATO BISQUE WITH LEMON RICOTTA CREAM AND SEVILLE ORANGE GELEE
From: Chef David Richards, Chef's Station, Evanston

FOR THE SEVILLE ORANGE GELEE:
1/2 cup of orange marmalade
1/2 cup semi-dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE LEMON RICOTTA CREAM:
1 lemon
1/2 cup ricotta, preferably whole milk
2 tablespoons whipping cream (or milk)
Salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE SWEET POTATO BISQUE:
4 sweet potatoes
2 cups chicken stock (vegetable stock will work)
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
4 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste

TO MAKE THE GELEE:
In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt marmalade with wine, salt and pepper. Bring to a very soft boil. Strain gelee and reserve at room temperature.

TO MAKE THE LEMON RICOTTA CREAM:
Zest (grate colored portion of peel) and squeeze lemon. Loosen ricotta with a little lemon juice and cream added as needed. With an electric mixer or whisk, whip ricotta until light and fluffy. Fold in lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste.

TO MAKE THE BISQUE:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake sweet potatoes until a knife easily slides through (45 minutes to 1 hour). Cool to room temperature and remove potato from the skins. In a blender or food processor, in several stages, blend potato with stock until you have a pourable puree.

Place puree in a saucepan over low heat. Add honey, ginger, allspice, cream and any remaining stock, stirring constantly. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, add butter off the heat and mix completely; salt and pepper to taste.

TO SERVE:
Garnish soup with lemon ricotta cream and drizzle with orange gelee. This elegant first course can be paired with a slightly chilled Gew rztraminer or Reisling.

Makes 12 servings, 1 cup each
Source: Chicago Sun Times, July 7, 2006