Fall Stew Baked in a Whole Pumpkin
The best American name for this vegetable would probably be “Mexican green tomato”, but they actually taste nothing like regular tomatoes, In fact, the tomatillo is not a tomato at all. The tomatillo has a tart, lemony flavor that is enhance when cooked (especially roasted) and is an excellent base for salsas. While salsa (salsa verde) is the most popular way to enjoy tomatillo, they can be used in other ways. Tomatillos contain high amounts of vitamin A&C. Tomatillos are our #2 sales item!
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup water
1/2 lb tomatillos, husked and chopped
15 oz canned hominy, drained
3/4 tsp table salt
For the pumpkins (per serving):
Small pie pumpkin, 1- 1 1/2 lbs
1 tsp olive oil
1 oz grated cheddar cheese
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
STEW In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium high until shimmery. Add the onions, peppers and garlic as they’re prepped, stirring to coat with fat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and peppers begin to soften. Stir in the spices and cook for about 3 minutes.
Add the water, tomatillos, hominy and salt, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a slow simmer and cook, partially covered, until the tomatillos soften, about 10 minutes. If needed, uncover and let the liquid cook off a bit.
TO MAKE AHEAD OF TIME Finish the stew and refrigerate. Just before baking, return to a boil and then continue.
PUMPKINS While the stew cooks, wash the pumpkins well. Insert a knife at the “shoulder” of the pumpkin (this makes the widest possible opening while preserving the greatest height) and cut around the pumpkin to form a lid. With a grapefruit spoon or something similar, scrape the seeds and strings out of the pumpkins.
Rub the interior of the pumpkins with olive oil. Sprinkle a half ounce of cheese in the bottom of each pumpkin. Fill the pumpkin halfway with the stew mixture, add another half ounce of cheese, then continue filling.
Place the lids back onto the pumpkins and transfer to the baking sheet. Bake for 1-1/2 to 2 hours until the pumpkin flesh is fork tender. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
TIMING I think that the pumpkins are forgiving, timing-wise. Mine finished in 90 minutes but I left them in the oven another 30 minutes or so without any issue.
Makes about 3 cups of stew.
From kitchenparade.com