Baked Stuffed Pumpkin

Unwrap this fragrant baked pumpkin and show it off at the Christmas table! Pumpkin is very low in calories (20 cal per 100g) and is rich in potassium. This recipe is adapted from ABC Delicious magazine which highlighted Jamie Oliver’s take on what he’ll be serving this Christmas. I have been a long time fan of Jamie’s ever since his early days of The Naked Chef cooking shows. His style is so open and fresh and his passion shines through in everything he does.

Serves 2 (or 4 as a side)
1kg whole pumpkin
2 garlic cloves
splash of olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
small handful black olives, pitted and chopped
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes
large pinch of ground nutmeg
large pinch of ground cinnamon
50g (1/4 cup) basmati rice, rinsed and drained
75g dried cranberries
50g shelled pistachio nuts
zest of one orange
200ml vegetable stock
chopped flat leaf parsley (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 230c. Cut the lid off the pumpkin (don’t throw it away), scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Make the hollow where the seeds were a bit bigger by scooping out more pumpkin flesh. Take this pumpkin flesh and finely chop with 1 garlic clove. Heat a frypan over medium heat, add a splash of oil, chopped pumpkin, garlic, onion, olives and half the rosemary. Cook gently for 10 minutes or until pumpkin has softened.

Season onion mixture and then mix in rice, cranberries, nuts, zest and a pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon. Add stock, bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes (no longer or the rice will end up being overcooked later).

Meanwhile, place the remaining garlic and rosemary in a pestle and mortar. Add chili, a good pinch of nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper and bash until you have a paste. Add a little oil to loosen the mixture. Rub this mixture inside the pumpkin.

Tear off a sheet of extra wide foil and wrap around the pumpkin. Spoon rice mixture into pumpkin and place lid back on pumpkin. Rub the skin with a bit of olive oil, wrap in foil and bake for 1 hour or until you can easily push a knife into it. Bring the pumpkin to the table and open it in front of everyone. Cut into thick wedges and scatter with parsley.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: YUM! This was easy to make and even easier to consume! A must have in one’s repertoire of recipes! I wasn’t able to get pumpkin so squash did the trick.