Pumpkin Crumble
Due to my new found four-legged fatherhood, going out has been somewhat difficult. Basil’s been to the pub and a couple of cafés but he doesn’t appear to have the patience or appreciation for good quality restaurant food. His culinary interests seem to lie somewhere between kibble, mud, fallen leaves and my wooden furniture. Now I come to think of it, his taste seems to revolve solely around a brown colour palate. He gives me the impression that, were he a human, he’d be that British bloke who goes on holiday and eats in the same Irish pub every day for three meals: full english for breakfast, burger for lunch and gammon and egg for dinner, on repeat, for a week. That won’t last long for Mr. Basil in this household though, there’s gonna be a lot of non-beige aromas to sniff through his time.
We did manage to take our little rascal/angel boy for brunch this week. We headed to Littleshop and Pantry, one of Freddie and Nessa Bird’s wonderful spots in Westbury Park. It feels like a really versatile space; a café on the surface but with a menu substantial enough for a decent lunch and a shop that seems so meticulously stocked, you’d be forgiven for going in to buy your Christmas presents. Anna and I treated ourselves to an LSP hefty breakfast bap and the sweetcorn fritters. Two very opposite ends of the breakfast spectrum but the perfect balance as we share everything (sounds cute but it’s just an example of our transactional relationship in which we’re just short of getting out scales and a ruler to ensure everything is exactly halved).
The bap was exactly what you’d expect — doorstopper thick hash browns that were as crispy as you could wish for, a sumptuous yolk, slightly tangy LSP ketchup and of course some great quality sausages. The sweetcorn fritters were an absolute revelation and potentially my favourite of the two dishes. Incredibly fresh but still felt brunchy with avocado, poached eggs and the addition of some salty feta. The fritters themselves were crisp and perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of spice for a brunch dish. Sweetcorn doesn’t often get to be the star of a dish but this type of cooking is exactly what I strive to do and what my book Elevate is totally based on — taking the most basic ingredient but making it the star of the show. There’s no surprise Freddie Bird knows how to do that but, come April, you’ll all be able to do it too. And that’s a lovely segue into PRE ORDER MY BOOK HERE.
Pumpkin Crumble
I’d feel like a culinary content creation criminal if I didn’t produce a pumpkin based recipe this week but pumpkin curries and soups are a bit boring. You know I’d rather push the boat out with something a bit different and boy am I glad I did. This pumpkin crumble is so surprisingly good, I didn’t even expect it to work to begin with. It’s different from most crumbles, there’s a much earthier flavour and, although there’s sweetness added to the filling, more of the sweetness comes from the crumble top than the filling itself. Dare I say it, it feels quite sophisticated. This is the perfect dessert for the next month or so, I’d definitely recommend giving it a go.
Serves 8
Filling Ingredients:
Pumpkin - 1kg (half a pumpkin standard)
Cinnamon - ½ tsp
Nutmeg - ½ tsp or grated whole
Ginger - ½ tsp
Brown sugar - 75g
Caster sugar - 75g
Lemon juice - from 2 lemons
Crumble top:
Plain flour - 300g
Salted butter - 200g (cold cubes)
Caster sugar - 10g
Dark brown sugar - 10g
Rolled oats - 100g
Pumpkin seeds - 60g
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C. Peel the pumpkin using a knife or peeler and cut into chunks approximately 2cm cubes.
Add to a large saute pan with the rest of the filling ingredients and mix well. Place on medium heat, covered for five minutes, then uncovered for another few minutes. Keep mixing. This will warm the pumpkin through and melt the sugar.
For the crumble top, add plain flour and both sugars to a bowl. Mix roughly then add in the cold, cubed butter. Rub between your fingers until you produce a breadcrumb-like consistency that comes together when squeezed in the palm of your hand but breaks up easily. Add in the oats and pumpkin seeds then mix and rub between your fingers again a little to incorporate.
Transfer the pumpkin filling to a large roasting tin and top with the crumble.
Bake for 50-60 minutes until the filling starts to bubble through a bit and the crumble top is cooked.
Serve with custard, cream or ice cream