Stout Pumpkin "Sous Vide" with Goat Cheese and Maple Syrup

While this is the season for pumpkin recipes, this new creation is quite different than any other. Those of you who watch such cooking shows as "Top Chef" or "The Next Iron Chef" are familiar with the sous vide technique. I don't have the fancy equipment normally used to cook sous vide. However, vegetables can be cooked this way with a regular plastic bag or vacuum sealer.

I marinated the pumpkin in a mixture of brown sugar, spices, and Russian Imperial Stout, a smooth velvety dark beer with a rich chocolate taste. I then cooked the pumpkin "sous vide", in a sealed plastic bag.

Cooking pumpkin sous vide really changed the texture of the pumpkin in a unique way. It was perfectly delicate and creamy as in confit, though the shape of it remained completely intact. This pumpkin creation has a unique umami savory flavor with only slight caramelized sweetness from brown sugar and hints of bitter chocolate from the stout. I served my sous vide "mini pumpkins" with goat cheese crumbles and maple syrup. Savory with a bit of sweetness, this delicious creation could be a starter or a dessert.

Ingredients:

1/2 bottle Russian Imperial Stout (or other dark beer)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 half of small pumpkin (about a cup of cut-up cubes)

2 tablespoons brown sugar
Goat cheese crumbles (Chevrai soft unripened from Woolwich Dairy)
Maple syrup
Chocolate flakes

Directions:

Peel and cut the pumpkin into cubes or use a melon baller to scoop up round ball shapes.

In a bowl, pour the stout and add brown sugar and the spices. Mix really well to incorporate the sugar. Place the pumpkin into a shallow container and pour the marinade over. Refrigerate for about 1 hour and up to 2 hours maximum.

Remove the pumpkin from the marinade and toss with additional brown sugar. Place in a small plastic bag, and seal it, expelling as much air out as possible.

Submerge the plastic bag in a large pot filled with water and cook on the lowest heat setting, for an hour. Remove the pumpkin from the bag and chill.

If the pumpkins were cut into cubes, before serving, gently shape them into little round ball shapes (optional for presentation). Arrange on plates along with goat cheese crumbles. Drizzle maple syrup over and sprinkle with few chocolate flakes.

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I am submitting this pumpkin creation to Royal Foodie Joust at the Leftover Queen Forum where the required ingredients this month are pumpkin, dark beer, and sugar.

I also would like to send this recipe over to All Through the Year Cheer event hosted for Halloween at Thought 4 Food.

Happy Halloween!