Clear pumpkin pie is the newest Thanksgiving dessert trend

Pumpkin pie is the definitive dessert of autumn, and especially Thanksgiving. But this year, the traditional pumpkin pie is getting a very unusual update. That’s because CLEAR pumpkin pie is becoming a trend. Yes, clear pie.

What in the world do we mean? Well, check out this video from Alinea chef Simon Davies. (Alinea is a world-renowned restaurant in Chicago that is famous for its cutting-edge cuisine.)

Pumpkin pie for the fall menu. #surrealism

A post shared by Simon Davies (@simon.a.davies) on

Wow. That is so mind-boggling! Here, celebrated chef and owner of Alinea, Grant Achatz, shares another breathtaking shot of the clear pumpkin pie:

Clear pumpkin pie by @simon.a.davies #holidays #pumpkinpie

A post shared by Grant Achatz (@grant_achatz) on

That is a work of art. But how the heck did Davies make it? He explains in his Instagram comments:

It is a distillation of pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and clove. Texture is very important to us. This melts away. If it were over-gelled it would not be worth serving. The main texture that brings on nostalgia is from the pate brisee.

If you didn’t know (and I sure as heck didn’t!), pate brisee is French for “shortcut pastry,” and it is the traditional crust used to make pies like pumpkin and apple.

However, not everyone is on board with the idea. One Instagram commenter had this to say:

“jello pie sounds very unpleasant regardless of the flavor of the jello. i can think of little less attractive than the combination of flaky crust and gelatin, though i will grant that it is novel and decadent. Not all ideas are worthy of realization.”

To which Davies himself clapped back:

“we throw away ideas that are not worthy everyday. You would be blown away by the amount of failures that occur here. I think a lot of people misunderstand how to effectively use gelatin. It can be used in a way that results in a gel that is stable but melts away on the palate unlike the common ‘Jell-O’ that most people are used to.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Baw-xD5DD5N/?taken-by=simon.a.davies

Mic drop! Hey, clear pumpkin pie might sound a little weird at first, but Davies is a pastry genius who has been with the Michelin-starred restaurant for nearly a decade. It’s probably safe to say he knows what he’s doing … now if we could only try a slice of that clear pie!

Food, Holiday & Seasonal
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About the Author
Bridget Sharkey
Bridget Sharkey is a freelance writer covering pop culture, beauty, food, health and nature.

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