A cinnamon-scented pie aside, pumpkin only really works for me when it is accompanied by a deep savoury element: bacon or pancetta perhaps, and onions, mustard or cheese. Best of all is when the squash’s sugary flesh comes glowing from the oven, sticky with the caramelised juices of a piece of roast pork.
This is why I roasted a loin of crackling-encased pork on top of thick slices of pumpkin this week, the meat’s juices trickling down through the segments of golden squash.
The savoury elements help to prevent the squash from cloying, as can be the case with, say, a pumpkin risotto. A handful of parmesan in ravioli, or a scattering over a gratin of butternut or other member of the squash family will do the trick, successfully seeing off the overdose of sugar.
Mushrooms work well, too. Stuff the large field variety with mashed pumpkin or add pieces of the flesh, steamed or sautéed, to a broth made from dried porcini. They are also often the answer, sliced and cooked with the shallots, to the oversweet squash risotto.
The firmer varieties of squash such as butternut make a fine gratin, cooked in a slow oven with cream or crème fraîche and perhaps a little cheese. To contrast the softness of the long-cooked butternut I sometimes cover the gratin with a herb crust, often with chopped rosemary or thyme among the breadcrumbs. That way, it is suitable as a meatless main course.
Pork and pumpkin
I don’t serve any gravy with this, but, if you wish, pour off the fat from the roasting tin, then deglaze over a moderate heat with a little white wine or cider, scraping at the encrusted pork and pumpkin juices on the tin. Season carefully and serve with the pork.
Ask the butcher to score the pork skin for crackling. Leave the meat, uncovered, overnight, so that the surface dries. That way lies crisper crackling.
Serves 4-5
pumpkin medium-small to medium sized
pork loin 1-1.25kg, rolled and tied
thyme sprigs 6-8
rosemary stems 6
olive or groundnut oil 2 tbsp
Set the oven at 220C/gas mark 8. Remove the skin from the pumpkin or squash. The best way to do this is to cut a slice from the top and base, so it stands firm on the chopping board, then remove the thick skin by peeling down the sides with a large, heavy cook’s knife. Slice the pumpkin into five large segments, then pull out and discard the seeds and fibres from the middle.
Place the peeled and seeded segments of pumpkin in a large roasting tin.
Check that the surface of the pork skin is dry to the touch (wet pork will not crisp appetisingly). Put the loin on top of the squash, brush the skin with a little oil – just enough to allow the seasonings to adhere – then rub in a generous amount of sea salt. Grind over a little black pepper.
Tuck the sprigs of herbs on top and among the squash. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes then lower the heat to 180C/gas mark 4, and continue roasting for 60 minutes.
Remove the pork and pumpkin from the oven, lift the pork out and put it somewhere warm to rest. Check the pumpkin for tenderness. It may need turning over and returning to the oven. Let it roast till truly tender and glowing.
Once the pork has rested for 20 minutes, carve it into thick slices, together with its crackling, and serve with the pumpkin.
Butternut and red onion and mustard gratin
A main course if you wish, but this dish can also be served as an accompaniment. Try it with roast lamb.
Serves 4, or 6 as a side dish
butternut squash 700g (weight after peeling)
red onions 2
crème fraîche 400ml
double cream 300ml
bay leaves 2
butter a thin slice
grain mustard 3 tbsp
For the crust:
ciabatta or other light bread 100g
chives a small bunch
olive oil 4 tbsp
You will also need a gratin dish about 24cm in diameter.
Peel and thinly slice the onions then put them in a pan together with the crème fraîche and cream, the bay leaves and a grinding of salt and black pepper. Bring the creams to the boil, then turn off the heat and leave for 20 minutes. Set the oven at 170C/gas mark 3.
Slice the peeled pumpkin or squash into discs about the thickness of a pound coin. Rub the butter around the dish, spreading it thinly round the sides and base, then place a layer of butternut squash over the base of the dish, season, then add a layer of the softened onion. Continue, in layers of butternut and onion, till both are all gone, then pour the seasoned cream over the squash, letting the cream run down through the layers. Tuck the bay leaves among the squash.
Bake for a good hour and a half, checking the progress towards tenderness with a skewer.
Reduce the ciabatta to crumbs in a food processor, then add the chives and blitz till the crumbs are pale green. Mix in the olive oil then scatter over the top of the gratin and return to the oven for 10 minutes until the crumbs are lightly crisp.
Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk. Follow Nigel on Twitter @NigelSlater
