Mandarin oranges share a strong aromatic connection with pumpkin, which you can read about in our earlier Foodpairing blog post, “A Seasonal Pairing: Mandarin Oranges and Pumpkin“. This interesting flavour combination is a wonderful starting point for a perfect seasonal fall dessert. All three ingredients share the same spicy vanilla and nutty coconut notes, so we’ve played around with textures for this recipe. Using butternut squash as our pumpkin, we’ve made fresh ice cream from its purée. The pumpkin seeds have been caramelized for that contrasting crunch, and adding chocolate to this pairing just makes sense, so there’s also a silky chocolate mousse to go alongside the butternut squash ice cream.
Preparations
Butternut Squash Ice Cream
- 50 g cream
- 100 g milk
- 5 egg yolks
- 100 g white sugar
- 250 g Les vergers Boiron butternut squash purée
Whisk or beat the egg yolks together until they form a ruban (a thick ribbon). Boil the milk and cream together and gradually pour in the ruban. Heat the mixture to 82°C. Add the butternut squash purée. Strain and mix well. Chill your ice cream base overnight in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to infuse. When ready, pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn.
Chocolate Mousse
- 105 g milk
- 155 g chocolate
- 2 g gelatin leave, soaked in cold water
- 250 g cream, whipped
Boil the milk in a saucepan and dissolve the gelatin in it. Next, add the chocolate and mix until all chunks have thoroughly melted into the mixture. Allow to cool to 37°C and whisk in the cream. Pour the mixture into your desired mold and allow to set.
Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds
- 50 g pumpkin seed
- 30 g white cane sugar
- 1 knob butter
- curry powder
- mandarin segments, membranes removed
Combine the sugar and pumpkin seeds in a pan over low heat until the sugar caramelizes. Stir frequently. Add the butter and curry powder. Pour the mixture onto parchment paper. Separate the seeds and allow to cool.
Assembly
Arrange the chocolate mousse on a plate. Top with mandarin segments that have been removed from their membranes. Garnish with the caramelized pumpkin seeds. Carefully spoon your butternut squash ice cream beside it.
