An Acccidental Dessert

I like desserts that involve the use of dangerous equipment. Crème brulée, for example, can be made with a propane torch to lightly brown its crispy top of caramelized sugar.

For dinner at a friend’s house this weekend my husband made a variation on this luscious custard dessert by using some of the moschata squash (otherwise known as Long Island cheese pumpkin) that accidentally grew in our garden from a seed that was hiding in our compost heap.

Our host paired the pumpkin crème brulée with Sine Qua Non Mr. K. the Nobleman 2002, a California wine made from “botrytized” Chardonnay—in other words, with grapes that have been affected by Noble Rot (botrytis cinerea), a benevolent form of fungus that concentrates the sugars, giving the finished wines a distinctive character and flavor.

Sine Qua Non is a cult winery in Santa Barbara whose name is Latin for “without which, it could not be.” In this case the name could easily be a reference to the perfect set of conditions that are a prerequisite for making botrytized wines—misty autumn mornings with sunny afternoons just when the grapes have matured to optimal ripeness.

The pumpkin became the sine qua non of this dessert pairing. Starting from a seed inadvertently introduced into a small patch of potatoes, it became the essential ingredient in the crème brulée, adding just the right touch of earthiness and texture that along with pumpkin pie spices, made for a layered interplay with the honey notes and thick silky texture of the wine.

Tags: Wine | wine