Can I use butternut squash instead of pumpkin?

Yes. Butternut squash is an excellent substitute when pumpkin is out of season. Cut it into wedges and roast it in the bacon butter at 180°C (355°F) in the same way, basting as it glazes.

Can I make the bacon butter in advance?

Yes. The bacon butter can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to a week. Melt the butter with the smoked bacon trim until the fat renders, then lift out the bacon pieces before storing.

How long does roast pumpkin take in Charlie?

About 35 minutes at 180°C (355°F) on the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack: 15 minutes in the bacon butter, then a further 20 minutes after adding the maple syrup, basting every now and then until glossy.

What should I serve maple roasted pumpkin with?

It works well as a side for roast meats. Scatter the toasted pecans and lightly crushed pumpkin seeds over the wedges just before serving so they keep their crunch.

Outdoor Cooking & Charcoal Oven Recipes / Pork

Roasted Pumpkin with Maple Bacon Butter, Pumpkin Seeds and Pecans

Name: Roasted Pumpkin with Maple Bacon Butter, Pumpkin Seeds and Pecans
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 to 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 medium pumpkin, cut into wedges; 125g unsalted butter; 50g smoked bacon trim (or smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped); 50g maple syrup; Salt and pepper to taste; 50g pecan nuts; 50g pumpkin seeds; 30g bacon butter (reserved from above); Pinch of salt; Pinch of sugar

Chris Mackett's pumpkin wedges roast in bacon butter before a maple glaze goes on. Toasted pecans and pumpkin seeds bring crunch to the soft pumpkin. Sweet, savoury and generous, with the butter worth spooning over at the end.

Chris MackettChef, former Head Development Chef at The Hand and Flowers

Roast

Prep20 minutes

Cook45 minutes

Serves4 to 6

DifficultyEasy

Method

Place the butter and smoked bacon trim in a roasting tray on the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack. Allow the butter to melt and the bacon to render its fat. Once melted, remove the bacon pieces and reserve the bacon butter.
Toss the pumpkin wedges in the bacon butter, season with salt and pepper, and arrange in a single layer in the roasting tray. Roast for 15 minutes.
Drizzle the maple syrup over the pumpkin wedges. Return to the oven and roast for a further 20 minutes, basting the wedges with the flavoured maple fat every now and then. Once glossy and roasted, remove from the oven and leave to stand.
While the pumpkin is roasting, preheat a small cast iron pan in the oven. Add 30g of the reserved bacon butter and the pecans with a pinch of salt and sugar. Stir the nuts until they begin to toast up and look glossy. Remove from the pan and place 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 toasted pecans, then sprinkle over the roasted pumpkin before serving.

More recipes

The cook

Chris Mackett

Chef, former Head Development Chef at The Hand and Flowers

Chris Mackett is the former Head Development Chef at The Hand and Flowers in Marlow, the famous pub with two Michelin stars. He spent 16 years working with Tom Kerridge.

More recipes by Chris Mackett

Frequently asked questions

Can I use butternut squash instead of pumpkin?

Yes. Butternut squash is an excellent substitute when pumpkin is out of season. Cut it into wedges and roast it in the bacon butter at 180°C (355°F) in the same way, basting as it glazes.
Can I make the bacon butter in advance?

Yes. The bacon butter can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to a week. Melt the butter with the smoked bacon trim until the fat renders, then lift out the bacon pieces before storing.
How long does roast pumpkin take in Charlie?

About 35 minutes at 180°C (355°F) on the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack: 15 minutes in the bacon butter, then a further 20 minutes after adding the maple syrup, basting every now and then until glossy.
What should I serve maple roasted pumpkin with?

It works well as a side for roast meats. Scatter the toasted pecans and lightly crushed pumpkin seeds over the wedges just before serving so they keep their crunch.