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Tamari-braised pumpkin, with sunflower cream and horseradish
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 120g brown sugar
- 170ml tamari (Japanese soy sauce)
- 60ml olive oil
- 125ml good-quality vegetable stock
- 1kg jap or Kent pumpkin (or any squash), cut into wedges, seeds discarded
For the sunflower cream
- 100g sunflower seeds, soaked in water for at least 6 hours
- 1tbsp good-quality vegetable stock
- 1⁄2tbsp lemon juice
- 60ml grapeseed oil
- 60ml olive oil
- 60g Persian feta (or any marinated feta, or regular feta, if unavailable)
To serve
- few dill fronds
- salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds, optional)
- fresh horseradish
Method
Preheat the slow cooker for at least 15 minutes on low. Add the sugar, tamari, oil and stock and cook, stirring regularly, until the sugar has dissolved. Gently add the pumpkin pieces and fit them as snugly as possible in a single layer. Cook for 1 hour, gently turning the pumpkin halfway through so it cooks evenly in the braising liquid.
Depending on the thickness of your pumpkin and the temperature of your slow cooker, check at the 45-minute mark to see how the pumpkin is progressing, and then checking at 15-minute intervals after that. It may take up to 2 hours.
Meanwhile, to make the sunflower cream, strain the sunflower seeds and add to a food processor or blender with the stock and lemon juice and a few tbsp of water. Blitz to combine. If it seems really thick and is not moving easily, add a little more water, a tsbp at a time (you don’t want it to be runny). With the motor running, slowly pour in the oils until you achieve a smooth, mayonnaise- like consistency, adding a little more water, if necessary, then season to taste with salt. Add the feta and blitz one last time.
Drizzle the sunflower cream onto a serving platter. Gently add the pumpkin pieces and top with the dill fronds, salted pumpkin seeds, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Grate over plenty of fresh horseradish and serve.
This recipe featured in the May/June 2021 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.
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