Even though Thanksgiving is behind us, pumpkin is still a star on the menu at Chicago's Four Season's Hotel. Allium's Executive Chef, Kevin Hickey is showcasing the fall gourd in several new dishes.
Allium Restaurant
Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
120 East Delaware Place, Chicago, IL 60611
Carnaroli Risotto with Pumpkin & Black Truffles
Serves 10
Ingredients
Carnaroli Risotto 17 oz.
Butter 2 oz.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 oz.
Shallots, minced 4 ea
Garlic, minced 2 cloves
White Wine 4oz
Prosecco, Dry 3 quarts
Pumpkin Puree 8 oz.
Butter 3 oz
Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated 4oz
Sage 2 sprigs
Diced Pumpkin 4 oz
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds 1 oz
Black Truffles 1/2 ea.
Method
Place the chicken stock in a pot and put on the stove on medium heat on the burner next to where you are going to cook the risotto.
In a heavy bottomed sauce pot, over medium heat, melt butter and olive oil and gently sweat the shallots and garlic in it without getting any color.
Add the risotto and coat with the oil and butter then add salt and fresh ground white pepper.
Deglaze the rice mixture with the white wine, stirring constantly.
You will now begin the process of adding the hot stock to the risotto, it is important that you have all of the rest of your ingredients ready so you don't stop the cooking process.
Add the hot stock in stages, never having more than a 1/8 of an inch of liquid on top of the rice. You have to stir the mixture constantly never leaving it. It is best to use a wooden spoon so that no metal is scraped into your risotto. After about the sixth stage of adding liquid, test the rice, it should still have bite in the middle, add the Pumpkin puree and continue to cook stirring gently.
The rice should be cooked through but still have texture (al dente), add the diced pumpkin and remove from the heat. Add the cheese and butter stirring vigorously, all off the heat. Adjust the seasoning and place the rice in the bowls. Place the pumpkin seeds on top and top with shaved black truffle.
Pumpkin brioche (yield 36 red ramekins)
Biga
Bread flour 2# 12 oz
Milk 27 oz
Fresh yeast 0.034 oz
Final dough
Bread flour 4# 6 oz
Whole eggs 7 oz
Egg yolks 5.6 oz
Fresh yeast 2 oz
Milk 3.4 oz
Salt 1.6 oz
Pumpkin puree 3# 4.4 oz
Cinnamon 0.14 oz
Nutmeg 0.07 oz
Ginger 0.07 oz
Cloves 0.07 oz
Sugar 9 oz
Honey 7 oz
Butter 24.6 oz
Pre-ferment 2# 3.2 oz
Warm all of the liquid ingredients to 68
Pour liquid and pre-ferment into a bowl
Add all of the dry ingredients
Mix on 1st speed till clean up stage, around 4min
Soften butter and slowly add to your dough while increasing mixing to speed 2
After full gluten development, work dough into round ball
Allow a bulk fermentation of 1 ½ hours with stretch and fold after 45 min
Divide into 36 increments and work round
Let rest for 20 min, making sure that the dough is covered all the time
Shape into rounds
Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan and proof for around 45 min
Bake at 375 until golden brown
Spiced Pumpkin Cookies
8oz Butter
8oz Sugar
10 oz pumpkin puree
1 egg
1tsp vanilla
2 cup ap flour
1tsp baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1tbsp cinnamon
2tsp nutmeg
Combine dry ingredients
Cream together in mixer using paddle
Add these two to creamed mixture
Add dry mix to wet mixture. Combine until fully mixed.
Place in pastry bag and pipe out ½ dollar sized rounds
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
