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Pumpkin Seed Oil


chefgy

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A friend of mine recently visited Austria where she picked up some pumpkin seed oil, which I had jokingly asked her to get for me. Anyway, she brought it back and now I'm not really sure what to do with it. Its a very, very dark green, and has a surprisingly deep flavor. Does anyone have any ideas?

Edited by chefgy (log)
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I had to search far and wide for it here, to use as an ingredient in a warm salad in the Babbo cookbook that I got into my head to try. It's really an unforgettable flavor.

If you have access to the book, it's on page 39: "Autumn Vegetables with goat ricotta and pumpkinseed oil".

If not, the basic idea is that you roast small cubes of butternut squash and sage leaves, slices of jerusalem artichoke, and slices of parsnips with a light dusting of ground cumin. Then toss all of the vegetables in a bowl with a bit of julienned celery root, a julinenned and blanched leek, some spiky lettuce like mizuna or frissee, and dress with sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then you make crostini with goat ricotta for garnish, and place them on stacks of the dressed veggies. And then you drizzle the whole thing with pumpkinseed oil (and sage oil, if desired).

A lot of work, but a really stunning appetizer. And a great use of the oil. :)

Anita Crotty travel writer & mexican-food addictwww.marriedwithdinner.com

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Drizzle on:

- steamed white asparagus

- spaetzle browned in butter and garnished with grated parmesan

- grilled endives

- roasted squash

- squash soup

- squash-stuffed ravioli

- grilled, roasted or broiled white fish and "white" meats

- grilled sweetbreads.

Classic Austrian: peeled cucumber rounds, thinly sliced salad onion, pumpkinseed oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

It also makes a great vinaigrette, especially in combination with sherry vinegar. Try said vinaigrette on an endive salad topped with a round of fresh chevre coated in breadcrumbs and heated in the oven: orgasmically good.

Bear in mind that a little goes a long way. In vinaigrettes, I often cut it with extra virgin olive oil.

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Carswell's Cucumber Salad recipe was the very one which I would have typed out myself. A classic that's served in Austria much like a Tossed Green Salad is served here, without a second thought. It's ubiquitous and delicious.

Promise me that under no circumstance will you attempt to heat or cook your Pumpkin Seed Oil (kurbiskernoil from Styria). That would be the equivalent of making mulled wine from a bottle of Chateau Margeaux! :blink:

This stuff is meant to be served as a garnish in smaller quantities - like a shaving of truffles or truffle oil. Do not destroy it by heating it up. Use it in the Cucumber Salad recipe. Make a vinaigrette from it. Drizzle it over cold cuts or head cheese as is done in Austria. Drizzle it over a Butternut Squash Soup. Just don't squander it. It's a wonderful artisinal product that deserves the respect one should show to something so carefully crafted. The strong nutty flavor should be used in the same way other fine nut oils would be utilized.

The health benefits of Pumpkin Seed Oil have long been touted as healthful for skin, digestion, heart disease, joint function, arthritis and cholesterol control. I can think of far worse and less tasty ways to get my daily dose of Omega fatty acids. :cool:

Spoonful of Cod Liver Oil, anyone? icon8.gif

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

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Besides the classic Austrian cucumber salad, we also always use it with green salad--can use a combination of pumpkin seed oil and another oil. Also-cold bean salads.

I have also found it to be an excellent garnish with a pumpkin or squash soup. (i.e. drizzled over the top before serving) as a couple of folks have mentioned above. I think it could be interesting with other soups as well such as cauliflower.

Edited by ludja (log)

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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Try it drizzled over a poached egg on toast. When I first got a bottle I couldn't thing of anything in particular to do with it so I tried it this way.

Heavenly!

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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Promise me that under no circumstance will you attempt to heat or cook your Pumpkin Seed Oil (kurbiskernoil from Styria)

Low smoking point, or what?

Possibly. Mostly I think it just destroys the delicate flavor. Like you wouldn't heat Hazelnut oil either, right? :unsure:

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

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