pumpkins are not a vegetable greatly used in the UK which is a shame as they are such an amazing vegetable. They can be pureed (great as a baby food) roasted or baked. Whichever way you choose, it must be remembered they grow above the ground and therefore cook quite quickly, despite having a raw texture more akin to the potato.
personally I would never pre-cut and boil them, as they tend to become too watery
they are incredibly nutritious. Being rich in vital anti-oxidants and vitamins A, C & E, very low in calories and recommended for controlling cholestrol
but how best to prepare and cook them? preparation of them can be fraught with danger if your not careful, so please take great care with the knife
storing
whole - store in a cool, dark, dry place
cut - if storing a cut pumpkin, ensure the seeds and strandy pulp has been removed. wrap in newspaper and leave in a cool, dark, dry place
preparation
the easiest way it to simply lay it flat on a chopping board and cut it half vertically, but this leaves two halves that can from here on in be difficult to handle. My preferred method is as follows
place the pumpkin on a chopping board, covered with a tea towel (this helps prevent slipping)
with a knife long enough to reach the centre, insert the knife and cut it in half horizontally. Keep your spare hand on top of the pumpkin at all times applying a slight downward pressure to prevent pumpkin slipping and also to keep the hand out of the way of the blade
alternatively, once the initial cut is made, turn it on its end and cut in a downward movement rotating the pumpkin as you go
with a spoon, scoop out the seeds and discard (or toast them in the oven for a great snack item)
after scopping out the seeds, there may be residual strands of pulp left, scrape this out and discard
roasting
pre-heat oven to 220C
cut the half into neat even sized wedges and place into a roasting tray
drizzle with olive oil and season well with sea salt and freshly ground pepper
one of the following may also be added
sliced or crushed garlic
grated zest and the juice of a large orange
baking
baking - my preferred method by far as it is easy, and concentrates the flavours
pre-heat oven to 180C
place the pumpkin half on a baking tray
in the hollowed out centre place one of the following, depending on your own tastes; salted water, chicken or vegetable stock (oxo cube crumbled in boiling water) or orange juice, This will be absorbed and flavour the pumpkin as it cooks
place into the oven and cook until tender. This can take 45 to 90 minutes, depending on the size and density of the pumpkin
remove when a knife can be easily inserted into it and it feels soft
after cooking
once removed from the oven, it can be
sliced into neat wedges for serving with your main course
turned over and peel removed (far easier to remove the peel now than when raw) and pureed in a blender with a little butter
