Pumpkin

Mehmet Gürs

Sweet pumpkin (30 pieces)
300 g Unslaked Lime (Quicklime)
1.5 lt Water
1000 g Pumpkin (approx. 30 pieces)
2000 g Sugar
1200 g Water
10 g Lemon Juice
3 Cloves

Early harvest Antep pistachio ice cream
250 g Pure Antep Pistachio Paste
500 g Whole Milk

Assembly
3 pcs Sweetened Pumpkin
20 g Early Harvest Antep Pistachio Ice Cream
5 g Hand Crushed Sesame Paste “Sürtme”
5 g Grape Molasses
Early Harvest Pistachios, peeled & roasted

 

Sweet pumpkin
Put the unslaked lime in a deep container and very carefully add water no:1 on top slowly (protective goggles is a good idea). Do not breath in the steam that rises. Leave “Lime Water” to rest for 24 hours until the lime sets and separates from the water. Using a ladle carefully retrieve the “clear” water on top and transfer to a container. Peel the pumpkin and use the firm flesh close to the rind. Cut the pumpkin into 3.5 x 2.5 x 1cm pieces. Put the pumpkin pieces into the clear lime water. Weigh down with a rack to completely immerse the pumpkin. Make sure the pumpkin pieces do not stick to each other. Each piece needs to “breathe” in the water.
Put the sugar, water no: 2, lemon juice and cloves in a sauce pan. Mix with a whisk until the sugar dissolves and bring to a light simmer. Remove the pumpkin pieces from the lime water and wash well under running water.
Put pumpkin pieces into the simmering (induction 3) sugar syrup, place a rack on top to make sure the pumpkins are completely immersed. During the cooking, remove the pumpkins from the syrup every half hour and “oxygenate” them for 20 seconds before continuing the cooking process. Cook the pumpkin for approx 2 hours until they are crunchy on the outside and have a translucent golden brown. Remove the pan from heat and let the pumpkin cool down to room temperature in the cooking syrup.
Store covered in the syrup at room temperature.

Early harvest Antep pistachio ice cream
Put the pistachio paste in a medium size mixing bowl. Add milk slowly and whisk well. Transfer the mixture in a Paco Jet container. Freeze overnight

Assembly
Crumble the pistachios. Place the pumpkins on the plate. Arrange 5 drops each of the molasses and sesame paste on the plate. Make a line of the crumbled pistachios. Place a quenelle of ice cream on top of the pistachio crumbles.