INGREDIENTS
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Pancake Batter
Wet
360g butternut purée (see below)
4 eggs, beaten
60g milk
Dry (sieve together)
240g self-raising flour
60g caster sugar
12g baking powder
5g cream of tartar
3g mixed spice
2g ground cinnamon
2g salt
Meringue
4 egg whites
30g caster sugar
Pinch of salt
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Baked Butternut Purée
1 whole butternut squash
40ml olive oil
90g honey
8g Maldon sea salt
3g finely crushed black pepper
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Apple Compote (makes ~450g; ~9 portions @ 50g)
600g Granny Smith or Braeburn apples, peeled, cored, coarsely chopped
1 vanilla pod, split and scraped
1 cinnamon stick
100ml lemon juice
100ml apple juice
80g sugar
60g dark currants
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Butternut Ice Cream (additional extra)
Spice sachet (tie in muslin):
1 cinnamon stick
5g fresh grated nutmeg
30g fresh chopped ginger
8 cloves
6 allspice berries
8 juniper berries
12 black peppercorns
2 star anise
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Base
900ml milk
565ml double cream
50ml vanilla essence
1 vanilla pod, split and scraped
2g salt
400g fresh butternut, 2cm pieces
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Custard
340g sugar
320g egg yolks
80–100g extra butternut purée
4–6g gellan gum
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To Finish (per portion)
2 pancakes
50g warm apple compote
30g butternut ice cream (optional)
5g toasted pumpkin seeds
Method
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Pancake Batter
Wet mix: Mix butternut purée, beaten eggs, and milk together with a whisk.
Dry in: Sieve flour, sugar, cream of tartar, baking powder, mixed spice, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk into the wet until thick and smooth.
Meringue: Whip egg whites until stiff; add sugar and a pinch of salt at the end. Fold the meringue gently into the batter.
Cook: Heat a small non-stick pan on low–medium, lightly oil (or One Spray), wipe with kitchen paper. Add a small ladle (~80g) of batter; cook until set around the edges. Turn with a palette knife and cook 2–3 minutes more until golden brown.
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Baked Butternut Purée
Halve and deseed the squash. Place on a tray; drizzle oil and honey, season with salt and pepper. Bake at 170°C until tender and nicely caramelised (~30 minutes, depending on size). Scoop out the flesh and blend very smooth
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Apple Compote
Place apples, lemon juice, apple juice, sugar, vanilla pod, and cinnamon stick in a pan. Cover and cook on medium-low until almost soft. Uncover and cook down until the liquid evaporates; lightly crush. Stir in currants, cool, and remove cinnamon and vanilla.
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Butternut Ice Cream (optional)
Tie spices in muslin. Vac-pack milk, cream, vanilla (pod + essence), salt, butternut, and spice sachet. Cook at 75°C until tender (~1.5 hrs). Chill in ice water; rest 1 day. Remove spices and butternut; press through a chinois.
Make an anglaise with yolks and sugar; whisk in gellan gum and cook custard to 85°C. Blend the infused dairy with the custard and 80–100g extra butternut purée. Chill over ice, then churn.
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Final Assembly
Plate 2 pancakes, spoon over 50g hot apple compote, add a quenelle of butternut ice cream (if using), and scatter 5g toasted pumpkin seeds.