By All In Good Taste Productions Chef Bob Sendall

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

6 petite pumpkins

Stock:

1 whole chicken, 4-5 pounds, roasted, meat pulled, and carcass reserved

1 large onion, peeled and quartered

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into

2-inch pieces

2 large leeks, cleaned, green tops reserved

1 bouquet garni of parsley stems, bay leaf, thyme, and black peppercorns

12 cups cold water

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Vegetables:

1 tablespoons butter and olive oil as needed for sauteing and roasting

1 pound assorted wild mushrooms — oysters and chanterelles

2 cups leeks, rinsed, white part sliced

2 cups carrots, peeled, bias cut, and roasted

1 cup parsnips, peeled, bias cut, and roasted

1 cup celery root, peeled, medium diced, and roasted

½ cup rutabaga, peeled, medium diced, and roasted

½ cup baby green peas

1 cup cippolini onions, roasted

½ cup chopped Italian flat parsley

Kosher salt and pepper

Sauce:

½ cup chicken fat, reserved from cold stock

1 cup shallots, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons fresh garlic, peeled and minced

¾ cup all purpose flour

1 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon Armagnac

6 cups chicken stock (recipe included)

Directions:

1.         Carve out the tops and scoop out seeds of pumpkins. Rub softened butter on the inside flesh. Bake at 20-25 minutes at 400˚ with lids on.

2.         Preheat oven to 400˚. Rub the skin and cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper. Roast until skin is crispy, golden brown, and cooked through, approximately 45 minutes. Allow to rest 15 minutes.

3.         Reserve chicken fat that accumulated during roasting (for roasting vegetables). Remove the skin and discard. Pull meat from the chicken in large pieces. Cool and reserve for assembly.

4.         Prepare stock using roasted carcass, wings, bones, and stock ingredients. Bring to a boil uncovered, then lower to a simmer and cook for 3 hours. Strain stock and transfer to a clean pot. Return to heat, and reduce to 6 cups over moderately high heat.

5.         Cool stock and refrigerate overnight so that the fat solidifies on the top. This fat will be used in the roux, which will make the sauce.

6.         In a small bowl, place the reserved chicken fat from roasting, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, celery root, and cippolini onions, and roast until tender, caramelized, and golden. Cool vegetables, and reserve for assembly.

7.         In a saute pan, add 1-2 tablespoons of butter, and sauté the leeks and wild mushrooms. Cool and reserve. All vegetables should be cooled and stored separately until the assembly. (This can be done up to 1 day in advance.)

Assembly:

1.         Remove the chicken fat from the chilled stock. You will need ½ cup total. Melt fat in a large saucepan. Once hot, add shallots and garlic and cook until soft, but not brown. Add enough flour to make a stiff roux, and cook for 1 minute.

2.         Add the wine, and whisk until smooth. Add the chilled stock to the pot, and bring to a boil, whisking or stirring until smooth. Reduce to a simmer and cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until very smooth with a thickened consistency. Season with salt, pepper, and Armagnac.

3.         Remove lids from the roasted pumpkins, and place a generous layer of white and dark meat, season with salt and pepper. Layer the vegetables, ending with peas and pearl onions, and chopped parsley. Finish with a layer of remaining chicken, and season again with salt and pepper. Ladle the warm sauce and freshly ground pepper. Replace the lids.

4.         Bake pumpkins at 450˚ for 15 minutes. Then, reduce heat to 350˚ and continue to bake for an additional 30 minutes, until heated through and bubbling.

All In Good Taste Productions, 412.321.6869. www.allingoodtasteproductions.com