Apple, banana, pawpaw? It doesn't quite roll off the tongue and is much less familiar, so what exactly is a pawpaw? "It's a tropical fruit that thrives in the temperate climate of the eastern United States," shares Chef Patrick O’Connell of Three MICHELIN Star and Green Star The Inn at Little Washington. "It grows in the wild and does particularly well near wetlands. Pawpaws have a creamy, custardy texture that is similar to bananas and mangoes."
We recently sat down with Chef O'Connell to learn more about the historic fruit and how he works them into the menu at his award-winning restaurants.
When is the season and where can you find them?
In our region, pawpaws are harvested during the summer up until the first frost.The pawpaw was a favorite fruit of early American colonists. Thomas Jefferson cultivated the fruit at Monticello. Today, it is not well known because its fruit is delicate and doesn’t travel well. We’re fortunate to have a local farmer who grows pawpaws for us. We plan to plant our own pawpaw trees this fall.
What do you like about it?
Our use of the pawpaw provides a unique sense of place for our guests.When we celebrated The Inn’s 40th anniversary at Mount Vernon, we researched George Washington’s style of entertaining and the dishes he served at Mount Vernon. We began recreating those dishes and found them to be delicious. Pawpaw was Washington’s favorite fruit which he particularly enjoyed as an old-fashioned posset.
Today we serve George Washington’s Pawpaw Posset as a pre dessert. Most of our guests have never tasted a pawpaw before and are enchanted with it.
Are there any other interesting details?
The pawpaw flavor is tart and refreshing. It makes a wonderful marmalade that we use as a center for our chocolate candies, which are available through our shops.
George Washington’s Pawpaw Posset
Serves 10 (4 ounce portions)For the Posset:
- 20 oz. heavy cream
- 6 oz. sugar
- 3 oz. pureed pawpaw fruit
- 3 oz. fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 2 sheets of gelatin
Directions
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the gelatin with ice water and let it bloom for 10 minutes.
- In a stainless-steel pot, combine the cream, sugar, and pawpaw puree (make sure to remove the seeds first)
- Over low heat, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves and the ingredients are homogeneous.
- Add the lemon zest and juice to the warm cream mixture and gently stir over one low hear for one additional minute.
- Remove the bloomed gelatin and wring out any residual water.
- Add the gelatin to the pot with the other ingredients and stir until the gelatin dissolves completely.
- Remove the pot from the heat and pass the mixture through a chinois strainer or fine sieve.
- Pour the mixture into your serving vessels and place them in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours or until the mixture is completely chilled and set.
Hero image: Greg Powers - The Inn at Little Washington / The Inn at Little Washington | George Washington’s Pawpaw Posset
