This Halloween, we thought you might like to use those pumpkin carvings to create some seasonal dishes with your family. Executive Chef Noel Enright and Head Pastry Chef Dinesh Mauree have prepared these splendid recipes for you to recreate at home, we hope you like them.
Pumpkin Pie with Sweet Almond Pastry
Pastry Ingredients: 90g unsalted butter (cut in small cubes), 180g all-purpose flour, 60g icing sugar, pinch of salt, 25g ground almond, 1 small egg.
Filling Ingredients: 225g pumpkin puree fresh, 75g dark brown sugar, 30g maple syrup, 6g ground allspice, pinch of salt, 240g double cream, 3 large eggs, 12g dark rum (optional)
To make the pastry: Place the butter, flour, sugar, salt and ground almond in a blender and blend until the mixture turns to powder. Add the eggs and blend until it forms a dough. Scrape the dough out of the blender and gently press it into a rectangle shape. Double wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Roll the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper to around 2.5mm thickness. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use, butter 12 small tart moulds or 1 big round tart mould and cut dough to fit. Line and trim each mould and freeze for at least 1 hour before baking. Bake for 12 minutes for a small tart, 16 minutes for a large tart at 165c.
To make the pumpkin filling: Spoon the pumpkin into a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly mixed. Add sugar, maple syrup, allspice and salt. Whisk for about 30 seconds before whisking in the double cream and dark rum. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the baked tart base. Bake until the topping is evenly cooked and no longer looks wet in the center, 35-45 minutes for large tart or 15-20 minutes for small tart. Let the tart cool on a rack and refrigerate overnight.
Decoration optional: Whip fresh cream with icing sugar and vanilla extract or essence. Top with toasted pecan nuts with maple syrup.
Pumpkin and coriander soup with chilli poached clementine
Serves 4 to 6 people
Ingredients: 1 medium to large onion, 2 medium potatoes, 2 cloves garlic, ½ medium sized pumpkin, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 small nugget of ginger grated, 1 litre of stock, knob of butter.
Garnish ingredients: 100g caster sugar, 250ml water, pinch of chilli flakes, 1 clementine peeled and segmented.
To make the garnish: Place sugar, water and chilli flakes in a pan, bring to the boil until sugar is dissolved, add clementine segments and bring back to the boil. Remove from heat and allow the segments to cool in the syrup.
To make soup: Begin by chopping all ingredients. Melt a knob of butter in a pot, add coriander seeds and fry gently, add onion, garlic and pumpkin and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, add potato continuing to fry for a few more minutes before adding the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer until the veg is cooked and then purée. Serve with the chilli poached clementine and a little syrup drizzled on top. You may also wish to add some crushed smoked almond.
Pumpkin chocolate and orange rice pudding
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 125g pearl rice, 125g cubed pumpkin, 3 level tablespoons caster sugar, 1 orange zest and juice, 400ml milk, 400ml cream, dark chocolate chips.
Method: Place rice, pumpkin, sugar, milk and cream in a pot. Simmer over a low heat for approximately 50 minutes or until the rice grains are fully cooked, stirring all the time. Add juice and zest. Just before serving add some chocolate chips.
