Whole Pumpkin Baked with Cream

Fresh from River Cottage, Hugh Fearnley–Whittingstall cooks up a seasonal pumpkin recipe perfect for those chilly autumn nights.

Well, autumn looks like it’s finally arrived with a vengeance. Walking into work this morning I noticed that it’s now the majority of trees that have dropped all their leaves. There is also a noticeable chill in the air on most mornings now – so much for the Indian summer most of us have been hoping for!

Anyway, one good thing about autumn is that it’s soup season, and there’s nothing quite like some home made vegetable soup now that the nights are drawing in.

So, with Halloween just around the corner, get yourself a fresh organic veg box from Ethical Superstore and then indulge yourself with Hugh Fearnly-Wittingstall’s recipe for Whole Pumpkin Baked with Cream.

Serves 4-6, generously

1 medium (3-4kg) pumpkin or several small squashes

Up to 500g Gruyère cheese, grated (depending on the size of your pumpkin)

up to 1 litre of double cream

freshly grated nutmeg

a knob of butter

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Slice the top off the pumpkin or squashes three-quarters of the way up and retain – this is your lid.

2. Scoop out the seeds and surrounding fibres from the pumpkin and place the scooped-out pumpkin on a baking tray or in an ovenproof dish.

3. Put enough grated Gruyère into the empty cavity of the pumpkin to fill about a third of it, then pour in double cream until the cavity is two-thirds full. Add a few gratings of nutmeg, a little salt and plenty of black pepper. Throw in a knob of butter and replace the lid so the pumpkin is whole again.

4. Place in a fairly hot oven (190°C/Gas Mark 5) and cook for 45 minutes to one and a quarter hours, depending on the size of the pumpkin. Test by removing the lid and poking at the flesh from the inside. It should be nice and tender. At this point, the skin may be lightly burnt and the whole thing just beginning to sag a bit.

Hugh’s advice:

“When the pumpkin is completely soft and cooked through, there is a real danger of collapse.”

“The larger the pumpkin, the bigger the danger. Don’t panic if it happens – it will look a bit deflated but will still taste delicious.”

5. Serve small squashes individually in bowls, with spoons to scoop out the flesh. Serve the larger pumpkin by scooping plenty of flesh and the creamy, cheesy liquid (the Gruyère comes out in lovely long, messy strings) into warmed soup bowls. Either way, serve piping hot.

Find out more about getting the best quality local organic food from farm to fork.

Recipe reproduced with kind permission from rivercottage.net

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