The Big Chef
The Big Chef
Home Recipes Books Products

Cookery - Halloween Recipes

Pumpkin Soup

  • A little oil or butter
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 pints chicken stock
  • 400g pumpkin, cubed
  • 10 spring onions onions, sliced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon curry powder
  • 500cl milk
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan put the oil or butter, heat and then add the chopped onion and sauté for about 5 minutes..

Add the other ingredients - except the milk and seasoning and cook uncovered 15 minutes.
Then puree the mixture.
Add the milk and cook for another 5 minutes.
Make sure that the soup does not boil.

Serve in bowls topped with créme fraiche, and a piece of crusty bread. DELICIOUS!!!!

Pumpkin and Crab Risotto

  • 450ml chicken stock, plus a little more if necessary
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 300g grated fresh pumpkin
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
  • 200g arborio rice
  • 50g fresh Crabmeat
  • 150g grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the stock in a medium saucepan over moderately low heat, and keep at a simmer.

2. Meanwhile in a large pan, heat the oil over a moderate heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes or until soft but not brown. Add the pumpkin and sauté for another 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the sage. Add the rice and sauté, stirring constantly, for about a minute. Slowly add the stock, about 50ml at a time, stirring frequently. Don't add any more stock until all the liquid has been absorbed.

4. After about 10 minutes, stir in the crabmeat

5. When the stock has been absorbed, the rice should be tender; add more stock, if needed. Slowly stir in the cheese and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Pumpkin Pie

For the pastry

  • 200g plain flour
  • 1 x 2.5ml spoon salt
  • 100g margarine
  • 3 x 15ml spoons cold water
  • flour for rolling out
  • 1 x Kenwood Mixer ! to make the pastry

Sift together the flour and salt into the mixer bowl. Cut the margarine into small pieces with a knife and add to the flour. Mix on lowest speed setting until the Mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Increase mixer speed and add the cold water until the mixture combines into dough.

For the filling

  • 425g of pumpkin - pureed
  • 150g soft dark brown sugar
  • 3 X 2.5 ml spoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 X 2.5ml spoon salt
  • 2 X 2.5ml spoons ground ginger
  • 1 X 2.5ml spoon grated nutmeg
  • the merest hint of ground cloves
  • 3 large eggs
  • 250ml milk
  • 125ml evaporated milk

How to make the pie

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface, and use it to line a 25cm pie plate; chill in a refrigerator. Mix the pumpkin with the sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Beat the eggs in another bowl, add both milks and mix well. Mix the eggs and milk into the pumpkin mixture and pour into the pastry case. Bake in a fairly hot oven, 180 degrees C (or Gas mark 5) for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Serve warm, topped with double cream