When we did the dinner at elements, one course focused on autumn gourds. We cured cobia with a squash-miso. We enriched a drained yogurt with reduced squash juice. We made a crisp with dried squash puree. We made gomasio with pumpkin seeds and dried pumpkin flesh. And we had a squash consomme infused with aromatics which needed to be poured table side. We just needed a serving vessel. I reached for a small pumpkin and went to work. The first cuts were to make a kind of trap door in order to hollow out the gourd from behind. We scooped out all of the seeds and pulp and put a pouring hole in the top front. We filled the pumpkin with the hot consomme and set it on a bed of aromatics which mirrored those that were in the broth itself. Then we were able to pour it into the dishes tableside. Unfortunately, this service piece was a bit impromtu and we had only one properly sized pumpkin to work with. At one point during the evening it put a strain on the service staff as they were passing the pumpkin and getting it refilled for various diners. The guests wanted to be served from the pumpkin. In one instance they sent back consomme which was to be poured from porcelain pitchers preferring to wait for the pumpkin. I would have done the same thing.
Years Past:
