Mark Clemens
I made Caminito Ham with Vanilla Bean Paste Glaze served with Pureed Butternut Squash topped with Candied Pears.
Cooking to me always mirrors the change of the seasons. The most recent food magazine I subscribe to had a cover that reflected fall and the Thanksgiving holiday. I felt rather organic about how these choices reflected the change of color soon to happen.
There wasn't a "zinger" in the bag. Typically, it has been grab one item, and think "Yes!" grab another and think of how well that goes with the first item, and then grab the next choice and immediately panic with "How the hell am I going to marry this with the other ingredients?"
My "high" was the logic of the recipe. The dish seemed simple, natural and unforced. After going through some mental gymnastics of different approaches, I came back to the question of why wouldn't I go this direction? My "low" was the logic of the recipe. I'm always happy to go ethnic or outside the box to show my creativity. In the end, I thought that these homey flavors won out.
The ingredient that confused me was the Erythritol sweetener. As I was thinking of different ways to caramelize the product, I reached out to the company (NOW Foods) to ask how the crystalline product reacted to heat. They (NOW Foods) got back to me immediately, which impressed me, stating that the sweetener didn't respond to heat like I would have thought. I was assuming I could make a burnt sugar topping much like a creme brulee. I decided to use the product, both to make the glaze for the ham and to "candy" the pear pieces. My wife said, "Let's have this for Thanksgiving."
I have had the opportunity to participate in this contest before. Though happy with the results of my previous efforts, very few dishes would I serve due to an ingredient or two. This one, I could happily serve to you and concentrate on what wine I would choose to go along with it. The muted colors of the glazed ham and candied pear pieces leave the pureed butternut squash the most interesting palette presence. I feel a garnish was necessary to have a little contrast.