Roasted Pumpkins with Bacon Butter and Maple Syrup and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Pecan Nuts - Charlie Oven

Roasted Pumpkins with Bacon Butter and Maple Syrup and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Pecan Nuts

Written by: Chef Chris Mackett

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Time to read 1 min

Elevate a humble pumpkin into a dish full of flavour.  You'll be in food heaven with the combination of the salty bacon butter, the sweet flesh of the pumpkin, and the caramel hit of the maple syrup. Topped off with crunchy seeds and nuts.   


This recipe is by Chef Chris Mackett, who spent over 16 years at the Hand and Flowers, a Two Michelin-starred pub in Marlow. Chris created this dish for Charlie Oven.  The combination of flavours and techniques will make you feel like showing off the recipe to your friends and family.  


We call this style of cooking charcoal cuisine as it elevates fire cooking at home to a new level!  

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Servings

4-6 pers

Category

Side

Ingredients

Maple and bacon fat cooked pumpkin

1 x pumpkin peeled and cut half and then into wedges

125g butter 

50g smoked bacon trim 

50g maple syrup 

Salt and pepper to taste 

 

Salt and sugar roast pecans topping

50g pecans 

50g pumpkin seeds

30g bacon butter 

10g caster sugar 

2g salt 

 

Directions

Step 1 - Make the bacon fat butter

in a roasting tray, add the bacon trim or pancetta lardons, place them into the Charlie oven for 10 minutes at 180°C, and cook till the bacon is crispy, then add the butter and warm through. Once the butter is melted, remove the tray from the oven. Then with a slotted spoon, remove the bacon trim.

 

Step 2 - Roast the pumpkin

Next add the pumpkin wedges to the roasting tray, making sure you toss and coat the wedges in the infused bacon fat. 

Place the tray back into the oven and roast for 15 minutes. 

Once the pumpkin begins to colour and soften, pour in the maple syrup over the wedges and roast for another 20 minutes; every now and then, baste the wedges with the flavoured maple fat. 

 

Once glossy and roasted, remove from the oven and leave to stand. 

Roasting the pumpkin and basting in the fat adding maple syrup

Step 3 - Toast the nuts and seeds

Preheat a small cast iron pan in the oven. Add butter, pecans, salt, and sugar when the pan is hot. Stir the nuts until they begin to toast up and look glossy.  Remove the nuts from the pan and place them on a fresh tray to cool down.

 

On a separate tray, scatter the pumpkin seeds and toast in the oven for 5 minutes.

 

Once cool, lightly crush and mix with the pumpkin seeds, then sprinkle over the roasted pumpkin before serving. 

toasting the seeds and nuts