Here's what I'll be bringing to my family's Thanksgiving potluck. The presentation is especially stunning with the turban squash (pictured). The recipe is from the Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook via my friend and cook par excellence, Don Brown. Happy Thanksgiving!
Mushroom Bourguignonne in a Whole Pumpkin
5 to 6 pound pumpkin or kabocha squash
2 large yellow or red onions, chopped
1 to 2 tablespoons water
1 pound white button mushrooms, halved
¼ cup unbleached white flour or whole- wheat pastry flour
2 to 2 ½ cups dry red wine
¼ cup soy sauce
2 to 3 cubes vegetable bouillon (optional)
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic
USING A VERY SHARP KNIFE, carve a 3 to 4 inch zigzagged circle in the top of the pumpkin or squash and remove the top--I don't worry about the zig zag with a turban squash. If the peel is too thick to cut easily, bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes to soften it. Remove and discard seeds, and use a large spoon to scrape out the strings.
INA LARGE SKILLET, sauté the onions in water for a few minutes. Add the mushrooms, cover and simmer for a few minutes, until they have begun to release their juices. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute. Then add 2 cups red wine and the remaining ingredients, and cook 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the stew into the pumpkin or squash, place in a large, shallow dish (such as a pie plate) and put the top of the pumpkin on. Bake until the pumpkin is very soft, about 1 hour. While baking, stir the stew a couple of times, adding the remaining ½ cup of wine if too much liquid evaporates or is absorbed. To serve, spoon out some stew and scrape out some of the pumpkin onto each plate.
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