ROAST STUFFED PUMPKIN RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut the top off the pumpkin or squash and use a metal spoon to scoop out the seeds. Get rid of any pithy bits but keep the seeds for another time (see our pumpkin seed recipe ideas). Put the pumpkin on a baking tray, rub with 2 tbsp of the oil inside and out, and season well. Roast in the centre of the oven for 45 mins or until tender, with the ‘lid’ on the side.
• Meanwhile, rinse the wild rice well and cook following pack instructions, then spread out on a baking tray to cool. Thinly slice the fennel bulb and apple, then squeeze over ½ the lemon juice to stop them discolouring.
• Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan. Fry the fennel seeds and chilli flakes, then, once the seeds begin to pop, stir in ½ the garlic and the fennel. Cook for 5 mins until softened, then mix through the apple, pecans and lemon zest. Remove from the heat. Add the mixture to the the cooked rice, then stir in the chopped parsley and taste for seasoning.
• Pack the mixture into the cooked pumpkin and return to the oven for 10-15 mins until everything is piping hot. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining lemon juice with the tahini, the rest of the garlic and enough water to make a dressing. Serve the pumpkin in the middle of the table, topped with pomegranate seeds and the dressing.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• To Make Stuffing: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When foam subsides add onion and saute, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Stir in celery and apples; saute (without browning) about 5 minutes longer. Scrape skillet contents into a large mixing bowl. Add bread crumbs, ground pork, sausage meat, parsley, sage, salt and pepper. Mix together gently but thoroughly. (Note: Do not taste the uncooked stuffing, for it contains raw pork; instead, fry a small ball of the stuffing in the skillet, then taste and season with more salt and pepper as necessary).
• Fill the center of the crown with the stuffing, mounding it slightly. Cover it with a round of aluminum foil and wrap the ends of the chop bones in strips of foil to prevent them from charring and snapping off.
• Place the crown on a rack in a shallow roasting pan just large enough to hold it comfortably, and roast in the center of the oven, undisturbed, for about 3 hours or until internal temperature of meat is 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). (Note: 30 minutes before pork is done, remove the foil from the top of the stuffing to allow the top to brown.)
• Carefully transfer the crown to a large, heated, circular platter, strip the foil from the ends of the chops and replace it with paper frills. Let the crown rest for about 10 minutes before carving and serving. To Carve Pork: Insert a large fork in the side of the crown to steady it and, with a large, sharp knife, cut down through each rib to detach the chops. Two chops per person is a customary portion accompanied by a generous serving of the stuffing.