Ardsallagh Whipped Goats Cheese Recipe with Pickled Squash and Pumpkin Jam by Chef Igor Cikarev from the gibson hotel.
Serves 8
Ingredients:
Whipped Goats Cheese
– 500g soft goats log
– 200ml of fresh cream
Pickled Squash
– 70ml of white wine vinegar
– 70ml of water
– 70g of sugar
– 5g of salt
– 1 butternut squash, trimmed & peeled
– 1 bay leaf
– 5 peppercorns
– ½ tea spoon fennel seeds
– 1 star anise
Pumpkin Jam
– 200g of pumpkin, peeled & chopped into cubes
– 25g of unsalted butter
– 25g of brown sugar
– 1 dash of water
Chive Oil
– 100g fresh chives
– 25g baby spinach
– 125ml olive oil
– Salt to taste
Other ingredients
– 50g mixed seeds (golden & brown linseed, pumpkin, sunflower)
– 200g of baby mixed leaves washed
– 1 punnet of fresh blueberries
– 10g of blueberry powder
Method:
Whipped Goats Cheese
1. To make the goat cheese, leave the goats log at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
2. Whip the cream till soft ribbon stage then carefully combine the cream and cheese with a spatula till smooth. Do not over whip.
Pickled Squash
1. Mix the white wine vinegar, water, sugar, spices and salt in a saucepan and place over a medium heat.
2. Bring to the boil then remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Slice the butternut squash on the mandolin slicer as thin as possible then, place the pieces of butternut in the large bowl and cover with pickling liquid. Refrigerate, it can be kept in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Pumpkin Jam
1. To make the pumpkin purée, heat the chopped pumpkin, sugar, butter and a dash of water in a pan and cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until the pumpkins are soft.
2. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Cool and then transfer to the squeezy bottle and store until
required.
Chive Oil
1. To make the oil, wash, trim and blanch the herbs in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Refresh herbs in the icing water then chop roughly and mix with the olive oil.
2. Add all to the blender and blitz for 5 minutes. Pass the oil through a fine sieve which can be stored in the container for three days.
Assembling
1. Add a small handful of the mixed leaves on the plate. Drizzle some chive oil over the leaves.
2. Spoon the goats cheese in the middle. Roll five ribbons of the pickled butternut squash and arrange them around the goats’ cheese.
3. Pipe some of the pumpkin gel randomly on the top of the leaves. Scatter some blueberries & mixed seeds over the top and decorate with micro herbs.
4. Dust the goats cheese with some blueberry powder. Serve immediately.
Igor Cikarev is the executive head chef at the gibson hotel.
A Russian native from Riga, Igor got his start in the Latvian capital and has continued to grow his experience over the years.
Chef Igor also cooks for many of Ireland’s romance seekers on RTÉ’s popular TV show, First Dates, which is filmed at the gibson hotel in Dublin.
Stay up-to-date with all of the latest news from the gibson hotel here.