Pumpkin cauldron

Ingredients

1 pumpkin, 25cm/10" in diameter
2 tbsp olive oil
6 chicken thighs, skinned, boned and chopped
2 leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
2 red peppers, seeded and sliced
120g/4oz smoked streaky bacon, de-rinded and chopped
30g/1oz plain flour
570ml/1 pint chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
2. Take the top off the pumpkin to make a lid and scoop out the seeds. Cut away the flesh from the insides, making sure you do not cut through the skin. Cut the pumpkin flesh into 1cm/½in cubes.
3. Heat the oil in a large pan and quickly fry the chicken until golden but not coloured. Remove.
4. Add the leeks, garlic, peppers and bacon to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are starting to soften. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the stock, bring to the boil and season well. Add the chicken, pumpkin cubes, bay leaf and cinnamon stick.
5. Pour the mixture into the pumpkin and put the lid on. Lightly oil the skin of the pumpkin with a little more oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the stew is piping hot.
6. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve straight out of the pumpkin cauldron.

Note: If you want a vegetarian cauldron, leave out the chicken and bacon and add some butter beans with other root vegetables such as carrots, swedes or parsnips.

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Find out more about these ingredients and techniques:

• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Flour
• Stock
• Cinnamon
• Parsley
• Salt