Zero waste roast pumpkin with chilli, thyme and garlic

Use the flesh, seeds and skin to make this excellent roast vegetable dish.

Zero waste roast pumpkin with chilli, thyme and garlic. Credit: Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  50 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1 butternut pumpkin
• 100 g margarine
• 1 tsp chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tsp garlic, crushed
• 1 bunch thyme, finely chopped
• Sea salt

Pickling liquid

• 750 ml water
• 500 ml white wine vinegar
• 200 g sugar
• 50 g sea salt flakes

For garnish

• 500 ml vegetable oil
• Chopped chives

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).
2. Break down the pumpkin by cutting into larger pieces, removing and reserving the skin and seeds. Separate the seeds from the fibrous flesh that holds them together. Chop the pumpkin into cubes about 2.5 cm x 2.5 cm (1 inch x 1inch).
3. Melt the margarine and add to a bowl along with the chilli, garlic and thyme and 2 pinches of salt.
4. Then mix the chopped pumpkin, along with the flesh you removed from the seeds, with the melted margarine and herbs.
5. Place into either a roasting tray or ceramic roasting dish that has been lined with baking paper. Then top with more baking paper and cover the dish with foil and seal well.
6. Roast for 30-35 minutes until the pumpkin is soft, then uncover and roast for a further 10-15 mins until the pumpkin has a golden colour.
7. While the pumpkin is roasting, prepare the pickle mix by adding the water, vinegar, sugar and 50 g of salt to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Simmer for about 5 mins.
8. Chop the pumpkin skin into smaller pieces and blanch in boiling water for around 30 seconds. Strain the pumpkin skin, place it into a bowl and pour over the pickling liquid. Then set aside.
9. To make the pumpkin seed topping, toast the seeds in a dry pan, then place them into a blender while hot, add the vegetable oil and blend until smooth.
10. Once the pumpkin is finished roasting, drizzle over some pumpkin seed mixtureand sprinkle over the chopped pickled skins, chopped chives and the grass onion flowers.

Note

The pumpkin skin pickles and the seed topping can be stored in the fridge and used in various other dishes as required.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.