Pork, Pumpkin and Lentil Casserole
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 lb. Pork Belly (skin removed), cut into 1 inch thick slices
- 6 Beef Kielbasa Sausages
- 6 Strips of thick Smoked Bacon, cut into small slices
- 1 Large Onion, finely sliced
- 1 Large Carrot, finely chopped1 Large Celery Stick, finely chopped
- 6 Garlic Cloves, diced
- 2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Tbsp. Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp. Fennel Seeds
- 6 oz. Cider
- 1 oz. Dark Rum
- 1 ¼ C. Dried Lentils
- 6 Fresh Sage Leaves
- 2 C. Chicken Stock
- ½ C. Spiced Rum
- 1 ½ lbs. Fresh Pumpkin (seeds removed), cut into chunky wedges
- ¼ C. (½ stick) Unsalted Butter
- ¼ C. Fresh Breadcrumbs
- Crusty bread to serve
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300°F.In a large pan over medium-high heat, add one tablespoon of olive oil. Season the pork belly with sea salt, then sear until golden and caramelized on both sides.
- Remove pork from the pan and place in casserole dish. Reduce the heat of the pan to medium and brown the sausages on all sides then remove from the pan and place in the casserole dish.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and add the bacon, onion and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and the onions are starting to caramelize.
- Add the carrot and celery and cook for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until slightly softened. Stir in the garlic, mustard, bay, oregano, fennel seeds, cider and dark rum.
- Bring back to a simmer and continue bubbling for 10 minutes until the liquid has almost fully evaporated.
- Stir in the lentils, chopped sage, stock, spiced rum and some salt and pepper. Return to a simmer.
- Pour everything into the casserole dish that has the pork and sausages and add the pumpkin pieces. Cover with foil and place casserole in the oven and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil and check that the lentils and pumpkin are tender. Melt the butter in a small pan, then add the breadcrumbs and some salt and pepper. Stir to coat, then sprinkle over the casserole.
- Turn the oven up to 350°F and cook uncovered for 30 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the breadcrumbs are golden. Rest for 15 minutes before serving with the crusty bread.
Ginger-Rum Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients for the pastry:
- 1¾ C. Flour, plus a little extra for dusting
- 3 Tbsp. Icing Sugar
- 1 tsp. Ground Ginger
- ½ C. Butter, chilled and cubed
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 Tbsp. Dark Rum
- Ingredients for the filling:
- 1 lb. Fresh Pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp. Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
- 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon, plus extra to serve
- ½ tsp. Ground Nutmeg
- ½ tsp. Ground Allspice
- ½ tsp. Ground Ginger
- 1 Tbsp. Molasses
- ½ C. Brown Sugar
- 2 ½ C. Double Cream
- 4 Tbsp. Spiced Rum
- 3 Eggs, plus 1 yolk
Directions:
- For this recipe you will need a food processor and a deep loose-bottomed tart tinFor the pastry: Put the flour, icing sugar and ground ginger in a food processor with a pinch of salt and pulse to combine.
- Add the butter and pulse to form fine breadcrumbs. In a bowl, beat the egg yolk with the rum and 1 tablespoon of cold water, add to the flour mixture, then pulse until the mixture begins to come together (it will be a little sticky).
- Place dough mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap, and wrap well. Shape into a disc and chill for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Unwrap the pastry but leave it on the plastic wrap. Lightly dust a rolling pin with flour and roll to a circle roughly 11 inches in diameter and 2 inches thick. Lift pastry with the plastic wrap and place the pastry inside the tart tin and press into the edges (through the plastic wrap), keep the plastic wrap in place. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Toss the pumpkin with the olive oil in a large baking pan and roast for 20 minutes. Drizzle with the maple syrup and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.Remove the plastic wrap from the pastry case, trim the edges of the pastry, then line it with baking paper and fill with ceramic pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the ceramic pie weights then bake for 5-10 minutes until golden, dry and sandy to the touch. Set aside. Turn the oven to 350°F.
- Meanwhile, in a pan over medium heat, put the spices, molasses, sugar and half of the cream and warm through, stir until the sugar has dissolved and the cream is just steaming.
- Pulse the pumpkin, rum, eggs and yolk in the cleaned food processor. Add the spiced cream mixture, then pulse until smooth and pour into the tart tin.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until just set with a slight jiggle. Whip the remaining cream, spoon onto the pie, then dust with cinnamon.
