Baked Pumpkin with Smoky Eggplant Hummus and Figs by Chef Samantha Gowing
Here’s a special occasion recipe perfect for brunch or as part of a vegetarian feast or a main meal. Baked pumpkin is delicious on its own, as is the eggplant hummus, but even greater when the two meet!
Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- ½ small organic butternut pumpkin, cut into 4 wedges, skin on
- 1 Tbs macadamia oil
- Pinch or 2 of salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 6 baby pickled figs, halved, *use sliced dried figs if preferred
- 1 Tbs syrup from fig pickled figs, *use maple syrup if preferred
- 2 Tbs crème fraiche, marscapone, fetta, cashew cheese or sheep’s yoghurt of your choice
- Micro herbs – I uses coriander, red radish leaves, to serve
- 1 tsp pink peppercorns, crushed between your fingers
Eggplant hummus:
- 2 medium eggplants, wiped over
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 x 400g tin cooked chickpeas, drained
- 2 Tbs white tahini
- 1 lemon, juice only
- ¼ cup herbs – coriander, mint and/or parsley
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Cayenne pepper *optional
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Rub pumpkin wedges with macadamia oil, salt and smoked paprika.
- Prick eggplant with a fork a few times to let out steam while baking.
- Place the pumpkin and eggplants on a baking tray.
- Bake for about 30 minutes until pumpkin tender.
- Remove pumpkin from oven, set aside.
- Add garlic cloves to baking tray and continue baking eggplant for a further 10-15 mins or until the eggplant is tender. You can slice in half to check or press gently with your fingers being careful not to burn them!
- Remove eggplants and garlic from oven. Allow to cool then remove the stalk and roughly chop.
- In a food processor, add eggplant, garlic, drained chickpeas, tahini lemon juice, herbs, olive oil, smoked salt and smoked paprika.
- Blitz until crumbly but not pureed. Add more smoked salt, smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper – if you like.
To serve:
- Spread a bed of eggplant hummus on serving plates.
- Place pumpkin wedge skin side down on top of eggplant hummus.
- Add halved pickled figs, fig syrup, crème fraiche and micro herbs.
- Finish with pink peppercorns, crushed between your fingers
Recipe and images by Chef Samantha Gowing