The fortified pumpkin is a key crop of Kakariko Village. A traveler to the village will likely find many fields and personal gardens filled with fortified pumpkins (and swift carrots). As a result of these prized crops, the cuisine of Kakariko Village is quite pumpkin and carrot centric. They have developed a number of dishes using these crops. One such dish involves stuffing a roasted pumpkin with a stew made from local game.
“This hollow, meat-filled fortified pumpkin is a local specialty of Kakariko Village.”
For this recipe, I roasted the pumpkin and made the meat stew separately. I used chuck roast to create a beef stew and added it to the pumpkin after roasting. Juices will collect in the pumpkin basin as it roasts which you will be able to stir into the stew. Additionally, the pumpkin flesh is scraped off and served with the stew, so there will be plenty of pumpkin flavor without roasting the stew inside the pumpkin. I also use a pressure cooker for this recipe to speed up the stew cooking time.
Ingredients
1 10-12 lb calabaza squash or pumpkin*
2½ to 3 lb chuck roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 inch piece of ginger, sliced
3 cups beef broth
1 bay leaf
7-10 sprigs of thyme
4 carrots, diced
1 cup frozen peas
2 tsp Herbes de Provence
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water
Basil to garnish
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
*You can also use a kabocha squash, but they tend not to get as large.
First, we must tackle the pumpkin. Preheat the oven to 400 °F. With a carving knife, cut the top off of the pumpkin about ⅔ of the way up. Be sure to cut a straight line around. (I’ll be honest, I measured all the way around the pumpkin and made marks before cutting.) Lift the lid off of the pumpkin and use a large spoon to remove all of the seeds and insides. Scrape the inside of the pumpkin and the lid to remove all of the fibers. Discard the innards (or save them and roast the seeds for a tasty treat).
Once the pumpkin is ready, rub the inside of the pumpkin and the flesh side of the lid with olive oil, then salt and pepper the inside of the pumpkin and the flesh side of the lid. Rub the entire outside of the pumpkin with olive oil and place it on a greased, flat oven safe tray. Place the pumpkin in the oven and roast for 60-90 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on the size and type. The pumpkin is done when you can easily piece the inside flesh with a knife (like butter).
Before moving on to the beef, add the onion, garlic, and ginger to a food processor with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and purée.
While the pumpkin roasts, place a pressure cooker over medium-high heart. While it warms, salt and pepper the beef cubes generously. Once the pressure cooker is warm add a tablespoon or two of olive oil and add the beef cubes. Brown the pieces completely, which should take 3-5 minutes. Brown the beef in batches. You will probably need two or three batches to brown all of the beef.
Once all of the Beef has been browned, return all of the cubes to the pressure cooker, reduce to low-medium heat, and add the onion purée mixture. Toss the beef cubes to coat them well with the purée. Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes. Then, add the beef broth, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs. Scrape and brown bits off the bottom of the pressure cooker and stir. Secure the lid of the pressure cooker, set it to high, and allow pressure to build. Cook for 30 minutes.
Once 30 minutes have passed, turn off the heat, and release the pressure. Once the lid lock releases, remove the lid, and remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf from the stew.
Turn the heat back on to medium-low and add the carrots. Stir. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the Herbes de Provence and the tomato paste, and stir to incorporate. Add the peas, stir, and allow to cook for 3 minutes more. Finally, in a small bowl, add the cornstarch and the two tablespoons of water. Stir or whisk well until the cornstarch and water create a paste and are fully blended. Add the cornstarch slurry to the stew and stir to incorporate. Allow the stew to cook 5 minutes more to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste, if necessary, and the stew is ready.
Back to the pumpkin. When the pumpkin is finished, carefully remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes. Once it is cooled enough to handle, CAREFULLY remove it from the tray it roasted on and place it on the serving tray. CAREFULLY remove the lid and spoon the beef stew into the pumpkin. If there is any juice inside the pumpkin from roasting, you can leave it. Gently stir it into the beef stew as you add the stew to the pumpkin. Once the stew is added to the inside of the pumpkin, top it with some basil to garnish, and you are done!
To serve, place a portion of the stew in a bowl and scrape some of the squash from the inside of the pumpkin (or the lid) as you serve the beef stew. Stir the squash with the beef stew and enjoy!
Learn more about the Meat-Stuffed Pumpkin dish from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at Zelda Dungeon.