Heat the oven to 425F and line a large tray with parchment.

Rub the squash halves with about 1 tbsp of the oil, season, and lay them cut side down. Scatter the onion (and the apple or carrot) around, tossed in a little more oil. Roast 40 to 50 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance and the edges have caramelised. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.

Scoop the squash out of its skin. Warm the last tbsp of oil in a large pot, add the nutmeg and cook for a minute until it smells good.

Add the squash, garlic, onion, maple syrup and 750 ml stock to a blender. Blend until completely silky. If you use a jug blender, fill it no more than half and cover the hole in the lid with a folded tea towel, because hot liquid expands and can push the lid off.

Loosen with a bit more stock until it pours the way you like it. Stir in the cream and the lemon juice. Warm it gently until steaming, then season properly. Squash soup tastes flat if it is under-salted, so keep tasting.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with croutons, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, cracked pepper, and minced chives or green onion tops as desired.