Roasted pumpkin with curried fritter strands, seed crumble, buttermilk labne and ginger

Serves 6

Elna Grobler chose this delicious recipe from foodandhome.co.za November 2015. It requires a little effort and takes about 4 hours to prepare but it is well worth it. The labne must drip overnight.

The flavour combinations:

BUTTERMILK LABNE

500 ml (2 cups) buttermilk

30 g fresh ginger, grated

Pinch salt

1 medium (about 5 kg pumpkin, halved, skinned, seeded, quartered and halved again through the length

ROASTED PUMPKIN

50 g unsalted butter

2,5 ml (1/2 tsp) smoked paprika

50 ml water

2,5 ml (1/2 tsp) fine salt

PUMPKIN PUREE

100 g unsalted butter, cubed

15 ml (1 Tbsp) honey

2,5 ml (1/2 tsp) salt

500 ml (2 cups) water

PUMPKIN FRITTER BATTER

1 egg

250 g pumpkin puree

Pinch salt

5 ml (1 tsp) medium curry powder

400 g self-raising flour

MIXED SEED CRUMBLE

25 ml (5 tsp) canola oil

50 g pumpkin seeds

40 g sunflower seeds25 ml 95 tsp) white sesame seeds

Fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced

10 ml (2 tsp) icing sugar

Oil (to deep fry).

Small handful chives, finely chopped, for garnish

Method

• Prepare the buttermilk labne the day before. Place the buttermilk on a muslin cloth that is stretched over a plastic container to catch the whey. Allow to drip overnight.
• The next day, remove the muslin and place the thick buttermilk in a bowl. Add the 30 g grated ginger and salt and mix well. Refrigerate for later.
• For the roasted pumpkin, preheat the oven to 180°C. Slice a quarter of the whole pumpkin into wedges.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the 50 g butter, add the pumpkin wedges and dust with the smoked paprika. Brown the pumpkin wedges before transferring to a baking tray. Add the 50 ml water and season with the 2,5 ml salt. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and set aside to cool.
• For the pumpkin purée, cut one-half of the remaining pumpkin pieces into small cubes.
• Melt the 100 g butter in a large pot over high heat. Add the cubed pumpkin and cook slowly until browned (about 15 minutes). Add the honey, 2,5 ml salt and 500 ml water, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to its lowest setting. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a further 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve. Reserve 250 g of the purée for the pumpkin fritter batter and use the remainder for plating.
• For the pumpkin fritter batter, add the egg and 250 g pumpkin purée to a bowl and lightly whisk together until incorporated.
• In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Slowly add the egg and pumpkin mixture to form a batter. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• For the mixed seed crumble, heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds. When slightly browned, add the sunflower seeds. Repeat with the sesame and linseeds. Lastly, add the poppy seeds and 10 ml salt. Place the seeds in a food processor and pulse lightly until broken into smaller pieces.
• For the fried ginger, place the ginger in a bowl and mix in the icing sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Heat the oil in a deep fryer or deep pot to 150°C. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Place the ginger slices on paper towel and allow to dry. Squeeze out any excess moisture. Place in the hot oil and fry until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
• Place the pumpkin wedges in the pre-heated oven and reheat for 6 minutes.
• Place the pumpkin fritter batter in a piping bag with a small nozzle. Squeeze long, curly strands of batter into the hot oil and fry until golden (5 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
• To plate, pipe some of the remaining pumpkin purée in a spiral on a plate. Sprinkle over some seed crumble and place a pumpkin wedge in the centre. Add a small side of labne and garnish with crispy ginger. Top the wedges with 3 fritters and garnish the labne with chopped chives.