Executive Chef at Five Star Hotel Shares How to Get the Most from Your Pumpkin – Millions of Brits bought pumpkins this Halloween, but sadly after a decorative carve, many of these go to waste.
Each year around the spooky season, there is a huge interest in people searching for pumpkin recipes, in fact, over 1.6 million of us searched Google last year to find the best and easiest recipes around!
To help with the search this year, Executive Chef Sameer Sehgal from a five-star hotel, The Grand, York has shared his top recipes for getting the most out of your pumpkin.
Pumpkin Veloute
A truly autumnal must-have, and this velouté will have you wanting pumpkin year-round!
Start by melting butter on low heat and adding in the pumpkin, diced. Cook until soft and then add chicken stock then bring to a boil. Mix in some hard cheese such as parmesan for extra seasoning and then blend until smooth. Remember to season the soup to taste with salt and pepper!
You can serve this with some sourdough crisps for texture.
Pumpkin Pie
It may seem like a daunting task, but this pie is worth it!
Begin by boiling your pumpkin until a fork will easily pass through.
Meanwhile create your pie base by lining a tart tin with shortcrust pastry, covering it with baking parchment and top with baking beans.
Bake this for around 15 minutes, then remove the beans and parchment and bake again until the base is light golden.
Sieve your pumpkin and combine it with flavours such as nutmeg and cinnamon. You’ll need to then mix in around 2 beaten eggs, a small amount of melted butter and just under half a pint of milk. Pour into your pie base and bake.
Purée and Reuse!
You can convert your pumpkin into a delicious purée and freeze this until needed. It makes a great addition to pasta dishes or risotto.
Create the purée by baking your halved and seedless pumpkin in the oven until soft. Scoop out the flesh and blend until smooth, remembering to season as required.
Pumpkin Quiche
A firm favourite for the whole family.
Make your quiche mixture with crème Fraiche, double cream and beaten eggs. Add in some cooked pumpkin along with other ingredients such as feta or goat’s cheese for added flavour.
Create your pastry case, by lining a tart tin and baking covered with parchment then baking beans for around 15 mins. Remove the parchment and beans and bake uncovered until lightly golden. Pour in the mixture and cook until golden and set.
Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry
A delicious take on a veggie curry.
Start by sautéing a curry paste made of onions, ginger, garlic, cumin and garam masala. Add in the chopped pumpkin and any additional spices you prefer (you can add a whole chilli for some heat). Add in some vegetable stock and diced tomatoes, bringing to a boil.
Simmer for around 15 minutes, adding the chickpeas when the pumpkin is tender. Serve topped with fresh coriander and yoghurt.
Poppy Watt