The next morning with thoughts of the tactical scampi and bacon fries and tasty Talisker Whisky I consumed at the final pub on our Halloween themed bar crawl still on my mind I chose to make a soup containing a vegetable synonymous with this time of year and the start of winter. My choice was a pumpkin and chili soup, which although it was already mid-morning I knew I could prepare before lunch bearing in mind the clocks had gone back the night before.
The soundtrack to the cooking was John Martyn's 1974 offering Sunday's Child. His music is perfect for laid back Sunday mornings after a night out and this album with its typically Martynesque ambient guitar, coupled with spare acoustic songs that are easily accessible fitted the bill.
The key task was to prepare the pumpkin, which was the size of a large round football. I carefully cut the top of it off and then halved it using the sharpest knife I could find in the kitchen. A strong sharp knife is essential for preparation of the pumpkin as on a previous occasion I succeeded in breaking the blade of my knife due to the toughness of the pumpkin.
After I had halved the pumpkin I undertook the much easier task of quartering it and then cut out all the seeds and orange-coloured pith. I followed this by cutting the pale flesh out in large oblongs and then dicing it for use in the soup. I was able to extract so much edible flesh from this pumpkin that I needed two pans to prepare the soup!
Next I topped, tailed, peeled and diced a carrot and did the same with two strong white onions and a clove of garlic. I poured enough oil into my Le Cresceut dish and a pan to cover the bottom of each and then added an equal proportion of carrot, onion, garlic and pumpkin pieces to the Le Cresceut and pan. I then added a quarter of a teaspoon of black pepper to the two sets of mixture together with a quarter of a teaspoon of dried chili oil to both sets of ingredients.
I heated the dish and pan on a medium heat on the hob for about 10 minutes while all the time ensuring that I stirred them both regularly to stop the food sticking to the bottom of them. After 10 minutes I added a pint each of vegetable stock to both of the dishes together with about 400 grams of dry red lentils that were split evenly in the same way between the dishes. I also added the leaves from two sprigs of fresh rosemary to the dishes, a sprig of parsley to each as well as a teaspoon of powdered ginger.
I brought the Le Cresceut and the pan to the boil and let them simmer for around half an hour. When the half-hour was up I poured the contents of the pan and the dish into a blender and blended the food on the lowest setting so as it was still reasonably thick.
After blending I poured the soup back into the pan and heated it through; it was now ready to serve.
It is true to say that pumpkins are not the easiest vegetable to work with as they are tough to prepare and if not used correctly in meals they can be exceptionally bland. In the past I have had some pre-prepared pumpkin soups from supermarkets that have been uninspired and tasteless. However it was not the case with this recipe; the chilli, herbs and ginger made it strong tasting soup without being overpowering. While the lentils, carrot, onion and garlic added much needed body to it while at the same time enhancing the taste of the pumpkin. If you are looking for something special to cook for Halloween this is it. I can certainly see it becoming as much a part of my future Halloweens as a themed fancy dress party, the Thriller album and the Ghost buster's Theme song.
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| There was so much pumpkin I had to split it between two pans. |
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| Blended, ready to eat and on its way to becoming a classic Halloween dish. |
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