Beeswax-Poached Pumpkin

Sheep Whey Foam, Ogo, Brown Cheese Chestnut Fudge, Black Ramp Paste, Hazelnut Oil, Spicebush Wood Oil, Smoked Onion Oil, Rose-Kombu Salt

Chef Mathew Meeker of Fancypants | Nashville, TN

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Adapted by StarChefs  |  May 2026 |  Photo: Alexander Zeren

INGREDIENTS

Pumpkin Brine:
Beeswax
1 kilogram 2% lacto-fermented pumpkin juice
100 grams shio koji
200 grams fermented honey 
1 bunch lemon thyme
1 head garlic, halved
2 shallots, sliced

Pumpkin: 
1 Long Island Cheese pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and segmented

Smoked Onion Oil:
Sliced yellow onions, smoked over hickory wood
Grapeseed oil

Onion Jus:
50 pounds julienned yellow onions
10 grams dried porcini mushrooms
10 grams dried morel mushrooms 
One 5-inch square kombu 
Kikutsuyu
Spicebush apple balsamic

Black Ramp Paste:
400 grams black ramps
100 grams smoked garlic
20 grams black garlic molasses
6 grams kelp salt

Brown Cheese Chestnut Fudge:
173 grams roasted chestnuts, peeled and chopped
54 grams cultured butter
400 grams heavy cream
130 grams caramelized lactose powder
128 grams Norwegian brown cheese
70 grams whole milk
50 grams toasted milk powder
8 grams kombu salt
Kosher salt

Sheep Whey Foam:
455 grams buttermilk whey
234 grams heavy cream
140 grams whole milk
136 grams Bulgarian sheep's milk cheese whey
114 grams Bulgarian sheep's milk cheese
60 grams butter
2 grams sodium citrate
Kosher salt

Hazelnut Oil:
Toasted hazelnuts
Neutral oil

Spicebush Wood Oil:
Smashed Spicebush twigs and branches
Grapeseed oil

To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
Fresh ogo
Brined hazelnuts, shaved
Rose-kombu salt flakes

METHOD

For the Pumpkin Brine:
In a stockpot over medium heat, bring all ingredients to a simmer. Let cool.

For the Pumpkin:
In a vacuum bag, combine pumpkin and Pumpkin Brine. Seal to seventy-five percent. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove pumpkin from bag and let dry on a rack, reserving brine separately. Once dried, return to a fresh vacuum bag with cooled brine and seal to seventy-five percent. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, heat the water bath of an immersion circulator to 83°C. Add vacuum bag with pumpkin and brine. Cook sous vide 30 minutes. Let cool, then break pumpkin from beeswax. Set aside.

For the Smoked Onion Oil:
Heat a dehydrator. Place smoked onions on a sheet tray and dehydrate overnight, or until fully void of moisture. The next day, heat the water bath of an immersion circulator to 165°F. Transfer dried onions to a vacuum bag with enough oil to submerge. Cook sous vide overnight. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, pass through a cheesecloth. Transfer to a squeeze bottle and refrigerate.

For the Onion Jus:
In a stockpot over medium heat, add onions and enough water to submerge. Bring to a simmer and let cook 12 hours. Strain with fine cheesecloth and transfer to a fresh stockpot over medium heat. Add mushrooms and kombu. Reduce liquid by twenty-five percent. Strain through cheesecloth, discarding solids. Repeat process until a glaze-like consistency is achieved. Transfer to a nonreactive container. Season with kikutsuyu and balsamic. Cover and refrigerate.

For the Black Ramp Paste:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine ramps, garlic, garlic molasses, and 400 grams water. Bring to a simmer. Cover with cartouche and cook 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a Vitamix Commercial immersion blender, purée until smooth. Season with kelp salt. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

For the Brown Cheese Chestnut Fudge:
In a stockpot over medium heat, add chestnuts and butter. Cook until butter is golden brown. Deglaze pot with cream. Cook until mixture is slightly reduced. Stir in lactose powder, cheese, milk, and milk powder. Cook until cheese softens. Transfer to a Vitamix Commercial blender and purée until smooth. Season with kombu salt and kosher salt. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

For the Sheep Whey Foam:
In a large stockpot over medium heat, bring all ingredients to a simmer. Remove from heat and using a Vitamix Commercial immersion blender, purée until smooth. Strain, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate.

For the Hazelnut Oil:
Roast hazelnuts over embers until golden. Press hazelnuts through hot oil process. Reserve. 

For the Spicebush Wood Oil:
In a vacuum bag, add spicebush twigs and enough oil to cover. Circulate at 75°C overnight, then refrigerate overnight. Strain through cheesecloth and reserve in freezer.

To Assemble and Serve:
Prepare and heat a wood-fired oven. Add Pumpkin and cook until evenly charred. Brush with Onion Jus. Char until desired flavor is achieved. Set aside. In a stockpot over low flame, heat Sheep Whey Foam. Remove from heat and using a Vitamix Commercial immersion blender, froth Sheep Whey Foam. Set aside. Place 1 spoonful Black Ramp Paste into the center of a serving bowl. Place desired amount Brown Cheese Chestnut Fudge on edge of the serving bowl. Drizzle with desired amount Hazelnut Oil, Spicebush Wood Oil, and Smoked Onion Oil. Top with charred Pumpkin. Place ogo and hazelnuts alongside Pumpkin. Season with additional Hazelnut oil and rose-kombu salt. Finish with 4 spoonfuls frothed Sheep Whey Foam.

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