Sous-vide Heirloom Blue Pumpkin Brulee, Pumpkin Seed Granola, Maple and Chili Creme Fraiche, Sage, Marjoram & Thyme
An heirloom pumpkin, like the one I used for this dish, is what pumpkin actually tastes like. A grocery store pumpkin, weather whole or canned, cannot compare. This is a common theme that keeps popping up in my kitchen. Almost anything purchased from the person who grew it will taste better than something with a bar code. I cooked down and pureed most of this pumpkin for later uses. But I wanted to utilize some of it in a dish that really let the pumpkin stand out. I was thinking of all sorts of different applications but decided that they all would cover up the flavor and texture of the pumpkin. One of those was going to be a pumpkin creme brulee. But I knew that the egg, cream and milk would just mute the flavor of the pumpkin. So I omitted all of those things and came up with what you see here.
I cut three inch squares out of the pumpkin and placed them in a vacuum bag. I added butter, brown sugar, salt, fresh ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove and sealed the bags. I cooked the pumpkin "sous-vide" in a water bath til it was totally cooked through. Cooking the pumpkin in a vacuum sealed bag allowed me to have more control and ensure that the pumpkin wouldn't fall apart when fully cooked. I chilled the pumpkin overnight before removing it and punching out circles. I sprinkled raw sugar on top and bruleed it with a torch.
I whipped the creme fraiche with some maple sugar and chili flakes and chilled it. I spooned it onto the plate and arranged the sage, thyme and marjoram on and around it.
I heated some maple syrup in a pan and added oats, puffed rice and pumpkin seeds tossing them to coat. I seasoned with salt and spread the mixture onto a baking sheet. I baked it at 350 degrees for roughly 20 minutes and then cooled it to room temperature. I spooned the granola on the plate to finish.
Product:
Blue Heirloom Pumpkin - 3 Springs
Organic Herbs - Overbrook Herb Farm
Organic Maple Syrup - Spring Hills Farm
Organic Piment d'Espelette - Culton Organics
I cut three inch squares out of the pumpkin and placed them in a vacuum bag. I added butter, brown sugar, salt, fresh ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove and sealed the bags. I cooked the pumpkin "sous-vide" in a water bath til it was totally cooked through. Cooking the pumpkin in a vacuum sealed bag allowed me to have more control and ensure that the pumpkin wouldn't fall apart when fully cooked. I chilled the pumpkin overnight before removing it and punching out circles. I sprinkled raw sugar on top and bruleed it with a torch.
I whipped the creme fraiche with some maple sugar and chili flakes and chilled it. I spooned it onto the plate and arranged the sage, thyme and marjoram on and around it.
I heated some maple syrup in a pan and added oats, puffed rice and pumpkin seeds tossing them to coat. I seasoned with salt and spread the mixture onto a baking sheet. I baked it at 350 degrees for roughly 20 minutes and then cooled it to room temperature. I spooned the granola on the plate to finish.
Product:
Blue Heirloom Pumpkin - 3 Springs
Organic Herbs - Overbrook Herb Farm
Organic Maple Syrup - Spring Hills Farm
Organic Piment d'Espelette - Culton Organics