I created this recipe while working on a holidays lunch for 6 people (the two of us and 4 friends). I wanted to have a seasonal Christmas/holiday starter that showcases pumpkin. It can be easily scaled up and truth to be told, you will have way more puree than you actually need. The beauty of it is that it can be prepared in advance (pumpkin puree up to 3 days in advance, mushrooms about 1h/2h in advance and then re-fired quickly to warm, quick-pickled carrots up to 1 day in advance). It is a stunning dish, which allows you to present a restaurant-like fancy starter that will awake your guest’s palate before the main course, and all of this with little to no amount of stress as it can be made in advance! Plating is also easy and quick, just practice a bit on your puree smearing skills, or plate it as you wish. The recipe is naturally gluten-free.
The dish is a balance play between the sweet and rich pumpkin puree and the salty and umami shiitake mushrooms, with a final umami tongue-stinging touch from the parmesan slice. A few drops of olive oil provide a bit more aroma and richness, while the quickly-pickled baby carrots are optional but give great colour and add acidity to the dish.
The usage of koji stock to enhance and push further the sweetness of the pumpkin is optional. It stems from the huge influence that miso/koji preparations and “The Noma Guide to Fermentation” had on me in 2019/2020. This is however optional. The koji can be replaced with water and salt, or with a light stock (e.g., vegetable stock).
In the lunch I had on Christmas time in 2019, this starter was followed by Miso pork ribs, with a side of green beans and fennel salad, and a second side of rice porridge with dashi. Finally, I served a homemade gluten-free chocolate tart to finish the dinner. Pork ribs, pumpkin puree and chocolate tarte were made 1 day in advance. On the day of the lunch, I just had to cook the mushroom (ready about 30min before guests came), make and season the salad, cook the rice porridge (it was ready at about the time guests arrived and then kept warm), warm the already cooked pork ribs (this was quite on autopilot, in the oven at low temp, like 120C, for 20/30min).
This was truly a no-stress lunch, where I managed to stun my guests and provide a delicious 3-course meal. The key to it is organisation and a choice of recipes that you can mostly prepare in advance. When at home, we are the cooks but also the hosts, so we want to enjoy the meal with our guests and spend time with them. The more you have to do during the actual meal, the less you will enjoy.
The key to great mushrooms: “brownage”!
My girlfriend and I are not mushroom lovers. I am learning to eat them and enjoy them more and more, in different ways of preparing them, but it is more difficult for her. However, when cooked right, she goes for it and enjoys them.
The real key to cook mushrooms is to sear them like if they were steaks. You are going to need a good amount of fat (oil or butter, or both!) and a screaming hot pan. Key points to keep in mind:
- Start with a very hot pan;
- If you wash mushrooms, pat them dry very well. Some people people prefer not to wash them at all and just clean them with a damp towel, to avoid to get them to absorb water. I wash them;
- Do not salt your mushroom before cooking them, or they will release so much water that it will slow down or prevent caramelisation. Always salt them at the end, and after you are happy with the colour/sear on them;
- Do not overcrowd the pan, or it will prevent or slow down caramelisation. Better to cook in two or more batches, rather than saving 7-8minutes and wind up with mushroom with no colour (no colour = no flavour);
- You really want to treat them like steak! Would you eat a steak that has not been seared? Yuck, no one likes boiled steaks.
I like to use a non-stick pan (I have a Scanpan, which is expected to get very hot without releasing harmful chemicals) so I can use a little less fat. Mushrooms are like sponges, so they will absorb most of the fat at first (even if you use a lot of it), but fear not: they will give part of it back as they cook. Have faith and keep an eye on that pan.
Making a cartouche
It is very easy to make a cartouche with parchment paper. Instructions at the link below. You do not have to make a cartouche. The idea is that the cartouche helps the vegetable steam, but still lets the steam off, so the stock evaporates and flavours concentrate. I saw Gordon Ramsey doing that in a show, for a pumpkin puree, but it can be used pretty much for most braises.
Alternatively, you can skip the cartouche and use the pan lid, set slightly ajar so steam can escape.
How to make a cartouche by Serious Eats.
Pumpkin Puree with Soy Sauce Shiitake Mushrooms
Stunning seasonal starter that will wow your guests during the holidays period and awake their taste buds before the main course.
Ingredients
- For the Koji Stock (optional)
- 150g dry koji
- 1L water
- For the puree
- 500ml Koji Stock (can be substituted by water)
- 1 Onion Pumpkin (or any other variety)
- 2 Cloves of garlic, peeled and lighly crushed
- 3 Sage leaves
- 2tsp Miso Paste (to balance, add more to taste)
- 15g Butter (to balance, add more to taste)
- 1tsp Rice Vinegar (to balance, add more to taste)
- For the mushrooms
- 250g Shiitake mushrooms
- 4 tbps vegetable oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
- 2 Sage leaves
- A few dashes of Soy sauce (preferably low-salt)
- For the carrots
- 5 baby carrots
- Salt
- Vinegar
- For the garnish
- Parmesan wedge (you will use only a few slices)
- (OPTIONAL) Fried sage leaves (they can be fried up with the mushrooms)
- (OPTIONAL) A few drops of Olive Oil
Directions
- Step 1 KOJI STOCK. Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add the koji and lower the heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, then strain. The stock will be quite sweet.
- Step 2 PUMPKIN PUREE. Remove the skin of the pumpkin with a potato peeler. Cut the pumpkin in half with a sharp knife. With a spoon, scoop out all seeds and “beard” around it to leave only flesh. With the halves cut side down for safety, slice medium or small size pieces. Make sure pieces are about the same volume, for even cooking. Move the pumpkin pieces to a cold pan. It is fine if a bit overcrowded. Add the garlic and sage leaves, and fill with koji stock (or water, if not using) up to about halfway the sides of the pumpkin pieces. Turn on the heat to medium low and put a cartouche on the pumpkin (instructions to make the cartouche in the article, alternatively cover with pan lid set ajar to leave some space for steam to escape). Cook until soft, about 15/20min depending on size of the pieces (if in doubt, cook them more, as the puree will be smoother). Make sure the stock is almost entirely evaporated when the pumpkin are ready (if still too liquid, you can remove the lid a few minutes before they are done). Alternatively, you can roast the pumpkin in the oven.
- Step 3 Remove garlic and sage, and move the pumpkin into the blender while still hot. Start blending at medium/high speed and add koji stock (or water) by the tablespoon as needed to help the blender and make the puree smooth. Add miso to the puree (this will be your salt). Keep blending until very smooth. Add vingegar, blend, and taste. Adjust seasoning (salt/miso and vinegar) if needed. Take your time to make sure the balance is there. Add the cold butter and blend to emulsify. Taste again and adjust seasoning if needed. Move puree to container or squeeze bottle. It can be used within 3 days. Keep in mind that seasoning and miso flavour will get stronger as the puree sits in the fridge overnight. Keep it in mind when balancing.
- Step 4 SOY SAUCE SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS. Remove the root from the mushrooms (these can be added to the koji stock while it is simmering, to make it tastier). Slice mushrooms thinly. Pre-heat a pan until very hot, at medium-high heat. Add the oil to the pan. When hot, throw the mushrooms in (do not overcrowd the pan, consider doing it in two batches), followed by the garlic and sage. Cook for 7/8 minutes at medium-high heat, until brown. Turn off the heat and deglaze the pan with a splash of soy sauce. It will evaporate very quickly. As it does, toss the mushrooms to glaze them with the reduced soy sauce. It can be done 1h before serving. Set the mushroom aside and re-heat them slightly before serving. If the sage is nice and crispy, keep it aside to garnish.
- Step 5 CARROTS. Peel the carrots. Cut off the top of the carrots. Cut the carrots in half lengthwise, then cut the two halves in half again (lengthwise). Add the carrots to a small jar and cover with vinegar and a little bit of water (but mostly vinegar). Add a pinch or two of salt and mix well. Cover the jar and refrigerate. Let pickle anytime from 15 minutes to 1 day. The longer it pickles, the more acidic the taste of the carrots, the softer the texture. Remember this is a quick pickle and should be eaten within a few days, as we are not taking any steps to ensure safe preservation of the carrots.
- Step 6 PLATING. I like to plate starting from the puree, on small plates (like starter or dessert plates). Gently drop a spoonful of puree at 10 o’clock on the plate. Smear towards the right side with the tip of your spoon (it takes some practice). Gently plate a spoonful or two of mushrooms at the center of the plate. Lie three pieces of pickled carrot adjacent to the mushrooms and the puree. If using, scatter a few droplets of olive oil around the plate and sprinkle the fried sage (gently crushed) on the mushrooms. Finally make a slice from the parmesan wedge with a potato peeler and lie it on the mushrooms. Stun your guests with this nice presentation and bold flavours balancing themselves out!
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