Ingredients
- 1 small pumpkin (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved and seeded
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 thyme sprigs
- 1/4 cup preserved ginger*
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup fresh ginger, julienned
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 pheasant breasts, skin on
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup pepitos (green pumpkin seeds), available at Mexican markets
- 4 teaspoons pumpkin-seed oil (optional)
Directions
To prepare the pumpkins: Season the flesh of the pumpkin with salt and pepper and rub with olive oil. Place pumpkin halves upside down on a sheet pan and place 8 of the thyme sprigs under them. Add 1/4 inch water to the pan and roast at 350 F. for 45 to 60 minutes, or until pumpkins are tender.
To prepare the soup: Purée the preserved ginger, stock, and the pulp from the cooked pumpkin until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook mixture over medium heat for 5 minutes or until warm. Whisk in butter and adjust seasonings if necessary.
To prepare the ginger: Place the julienned ginger and 1/2 cup canola oil in a small saucepan. Warm oil over medium heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until ginger is golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
To prepare the pheasant: Season the pheasant breasts with salt and pepper.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil to a hot sauté pan over medium heat. Quickly add pheasant breasts and cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until just cooked. Let breasts rest for 3 minutes and then thinly slice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Assembly: Ladle some of the soup into 4 shallow bowls. Arrange pheasant slices in the center. Sprinkle with dried cranberries, pepitos, and fried ginger around the bowl, and top with freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with pumpkin oil (optional) and sprinkle the leaves from the remaining 4 thyme sprigs around the bowl.
Trotter's wine notes: "A full-bodied yet lean style of Puligny-Montrachet is a beautiful pair with this soup. The acidity will balance the sweetness of the soup and pheasant, while the light toastiness of the oak will make the flavor of the pumpkin seeds jump out. Either a white Burgundy from Domaine Leflaive or Jean Marc Boillot would be a good match."
*To make your own preserved ginger: Blanch 1 cup finely julienned ginger in simmering water for 3 minutes. Strain and repeat the process 2 more times. Simmer the ginger in 1 1/2 cups simple syrup** for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool in syrup. Refrigerate until needed. Yield: About 3/4 cup.
**Simple syrup: Bring 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool. The syrup may be kept for up to 1 month in the refrigerator. Yield: About 4 cups.
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Submitted 4/17/06.
Source: epicurean magazine
Submitted By: b smith
Pumpkin Soup with Pheasant Breast and Fried Ginger