AUTUMN STEW IN PUMPKIN TUREEN

AUTUMN STEW IN PUMPKIN TUREEN RECIPE
6 servings

* Tureen-shaped 5-7 lb. pumpkin
* 2 Tbsp. olive oil
* 1 lb. sweet Italian sausages
* 1 onion, chopped
* 6 small boiling onions, peeled
* 2 carrots, peeled
* 1 rib celery
* 12 tiny new potatoes
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* Salt and pepper
* ¼ chopped fresh parsley

* 2 Tbsp. Dijon style mustard
* 3 cups chicken stock
* ½ cup white wine
* 2 tsp. chopped rosemary
* 2 tsp. chopped thyme leaves
* 2-4 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
* ¼ lb. fresh chanterelles
* 2 Tbsp. butter
* Beurre Manie: 1½ Tbsp. butter mixed with 2 Tbsp. flour

Cut a lid in the pumpkin around the stem 3-4 inches down, just before the pumpkin begins to curve down making a good-sized opening. Clean out the seeds and membrane (a serrated grapefruit spoon works well here) and discard. Bake the pumpkin and lid at 350° in the Wolf oven using the Bake mode for 20 minutes or until just tender and shape is retained.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in heavy pot and brown the sausages over a medium-high flame on the Wolf cooktop or range. While they brown, chop the onion, carrots and celery. Remove sausages from pot and cut into 1-inch slices. Reserve.

In the same pot sauté onions, carrots, boiling onions and celery until browned. Pour off fat and season with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic, potatoes, sausage and mustard. Add stock, wine and herbs. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

While vegetables simmer, sauté chanterelles in 2 Tbsp. butter in a separate pan. Stir into stew. Bring to a boil and beat in the Buerre Manie; cook, stirring over medium flame until mixture is thickened. Taste for seasoning.

Transfer stew to the pumpkin. Place on a baking sheet with sides or the bottom of the broiler pan. Bake at 375° on Convection Bake for 10 minutes with the “lid” on the pumpkin. Carefully remove from oven, stir in parsley and serve with long handled spoon, scraping bits of the pumpkin shell into each serving.

Notes: Tasty additions are chopped, peeled yam and snow peas; chanterelles may be replaced with button mushrooms.

Pearl onions may be substituted for boiling onions and larger new potatoes may be quartered and used in place of the tiny red potatoes.