Whole roasted pumpkin recipe
All dressed up this earthy roasted pumpkin, with its nutty skin and sweet, velvety flesh, is ready to take its place as the star of the show.
There is an earthy allure to pumpkins, evoking memories of winter harvests and crackling fires. A long-held symbol of abundance and good fortune, pumpkins are to be found in many shapes and sizes from the classic Cinderella, Jack O’Lantern, Jarrahdale, Queensland Blue, Stripy Butternut, and Golden Nugget to the showstopping gnarly Galeux d’Eysines.
With their profusion of seeds, pumpkins also represent potential and there is a myriad of recipes that incorporate these humble gourds. While they are regularly relegated to the realm of pies, scones and soups, I find that they speak loudest when roasted in the hot embrace of an oven or the embers of a fire. There is something truly magical about cooking a whole pumpkin, developing a richer flavour over the many hours of cooking; the heat slowly caramelising the nutty skin while the sweet flesh surrenders into a velvety custard.
Some other delicious recipes you may love:
- The Cinderella of the lettuce world
- How to make the ultimate moussaka
- Simply roasted pears with crème fraiche
Every single part of a pumpkin is edible, from the skin, leaves, flowers, pulp, to the seeds which, when roasted, taste like popcorn. At over 90 per cent water, a pumpkin can often appear deflated after roasting, but this makes it the perfect vehicle for stuffing. While I like to use a combination of my favourite grains and seeds for a variety of textures and flavours, you can fill it with whatever takes your fancy.
Ancient grains have not been modified like modern wheat and are often more interesting, nutritious, and flavourful. Freekeh is harvested young, when the durum wheat grain is still green, and roasted to remove the chaff and straw around it, resulting in a smoky, flavour, while farro has a complex, almost spiced earthiness. Black barley has a beautiful nutty taste and a wonderfully chewy texture, while red quinoa adds a pop of colour and crunch. Earthy shiitake, plumped currants, preserved lemon, and a handful of toasted nuts and seeds lend a rich crunch and contrast to the creamy sweet flesh of the pumpkin. All dressed up, it is ready to take its place as the star of the show.
RECIPE: Whole roasted pumpkin
Ingredients
- 2.5kg whole Japanese pumpkin
- 100g black barley
- 100g red quinoa
- 100g farro
- 100g freekeh
- 50g dried currants
- 1 earl grey or camomile tea bag
- 50g pumpkin seeds
- 60g sunflower seeds
- 60g pine nuts
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 100g shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
- Preserved lemon, finely chopped
- 10g baby capers
- ½ bunch of flat leaf continental parsley, finely chopped
- olive oil
- 50ml sherry vinegar
- Sea salt
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180C.
- Brush the exterior of the pumpkin with oil and salt and bake for 100-120 minutes until tender (when a knife or skewer should pass through easily with no resistance). Remove and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- While the pumpkin is cooking, cook your grains. Cook your chosen grains separately according to their instructions/timing – rinse under cool running water, bring to boil adding 1 tbsptablespoon of olive oil and 1 tspteaspoon of salt, simmer for the required length of time, until tender.
- Place the currants in a bowl with the tea bag and pour boiling water over to just cover. Leave for 20 minutes to steep.
- Now back to the pumpkin: using a sharp knife, remove the top of the pumpkin and set aside. With a large spoon, scoop out the seeds and reserve. Season the inside cavity with salt and oil then place back in the oven for 20 minutes to remove excess moisture. Wash the seeds, removing all the stringy flesh attached to them and dry them on a paper towel.
- Heat 100ml olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add your fresh pumpkin seeds and fry until they start to turn golden.
- With a slotted spoon, remove to dry on a paper towel, seasoning with salt. Now add the dried pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, fennel seeds, and the pine nuts to the pan and toast until they turn golden brown. Add to the other seeds.
- Heat 50ml of olive oil and add the chopped shallot and cook for 5-6 minutes until soft with no colour. Add the shiitake and the chilli and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat, stirring in the preserved lemon, and capers.
- Combine this shallot mix with the grains, the seeds, the drained currants and the chopped parsley.
- Mix 50ml sherry vinegar and 150ml olive oil together and pour over the grain mix, seasoning to taste.
- Stuff the mix inside the cavity of the pumpkin, place the lid back on and return to the oven for 30-40 minutes until warm and toasty throughout. Serves 4