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1
Cook the bacon in a cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high for 5 minutes.
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2
Add the butter, sage, rosemary, shallots and a pinch of salt, and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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3
Meanwhile, cut off the skinny neck of the squash and cut in half (remove the stem, but leave unpeeled).
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4
Cut the bulb into 4 quarters.
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5
Remove the seeds and stringy flesh and add them to the Dutch oven.
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6
Cook until fragrant and golden, about 5 minutes.
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7
Deglaze the pan with the white wine and allow to reduce for a couple of minutes.
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8
The seed mixture should look rich and flavorful.
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9
Add 2 cups water and the chicken stock and nestle in the squash, flesh-side up (you should be able to just fit one nice-size squash in almost one layer).
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10
Cover and simmer until very tender, about 40 minutes.
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11
Once cooked, cool slightly, remove the squash, scoop out the flesh and place in powerful blender.
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12
Strain the liquid through a metal sieve, gently pressing against the solids to extract all of the flavor.
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13
Blend the broth with the squash until very creamy, about 1 solid minute on high.
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14
Wipe the Dutch oven clean and place the soup back into the pan.
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15
Heat gently, and then stir in the vanilla just before serving.
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16
Season with salt and pepper and pour over a little chunk of either cooked spicy sausage or a small lump of crab meat in a shooter glass.
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17
Top each shooter with a tiny bit of chopped chives.
