Hasselback Pumpkin
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1.5 hours
- 1 whole pumpkin
- 100g/3.5ozs. browned butter*
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- 1/8 cup sesame seeds
- Chilli and smoked paprika to taste
- Sage leaves
- 1/2 cup natural yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
To make browned butter heat butter in a heavy based saucepan on medium to high heat until it smells nutty (be careful to not burn it).
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 200C/400F and line a baking tray with parchment. Slice the pumpkin in half, lengthways. Peel the pumpkin making sure to get down to the orange part (there's a thin white layer) and scoop out the seeds.
Step 2 - Take two disposable chopsticks and place them either side of a pumpkin half. Make slices down the pumpkin-the chopsticks will prevent you from cutting all the way down. You can also par-bake the pumpkin if it is too hard (par-bake for 15 minutes or until it has a bit more give when you cut into it). Brush with some browned butter and bake for 45 minutes.
Step 3 - Press down on the pumpkin to open up the slices and add more browned butter and sage leaves. Sprinkle with the pepitas and sesame seeds and bake for another 15 minutes. Serve with garlic yogurt - to make this, stir the grated garlic into the yogurt.