Chicken Cooked in a Pumpkin
September 26th, 2018
This Recipe creates 4 servings
Prep Time: 04 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time: 0:00
The Buckaroo Banzai DVD included an Easter egg with a recipe called Chicken Cooked in a Watermelon. I have had great success in making that recipe many times, but as Fall rolls around, I have often wondered about cooking Chicken in a Pumpkin. As far as I can tell, this appears to be another original recipe. It has taken me a few years to get this one ready for prime-time, but finally, here it is...
Ingredients:
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Pumpkin Ingredients
1 large Pie Pumpkin (about x pounds)
1.5 pounds Skinned Chicken Breast (cut into 1 inch cubes)
2 cans Coconut Milk
1 medium Yellow Onion (diced)
3 Cloves Fresh Garlic (finely diced)
1 Anise Star (ground)
1 teaspoon Sweet Hungarian Paprika
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1/2 tablespoon Ground Cumin
Vegetable Medley Ingredients
1 can Quartered Artichoke Hearts
1 Red Bell Pepper (cut into 1 inch squares)
1 Green Bell Pepper (cut into 1 inch squares)
1/2 head of Cauliflower (cut into small pieces)
1 tablespoon Chimmichurri
1 fresh Lemon (juiced)
Sauce Ingredients
TBD
Directions:
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Use a sharp knife to carefully cut the "lid" from the top of the pumpkin.
Remove all the seeds and strings from the inside of the pumpkin.
Pour 1 can of Coconut Milk into the open pumpkin.
Mix the remaining "Pumpkin" ingredients in a large bowl.
Move the ingredients into the pumpkin. DO NOT OVERFILL.
Replace the lid on the pumpkin. Make a small tinfoil hat and cover the pumpkin stem to prevent it from burning in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit.
Insert a meat thermometer into the pumpkin, ensuring that the end of the thermometer is embedded in a piece of chicken.
Place the pumpkin into an oven-safe glass or Pyrex cooking pan. Place the glass pan onto a large cookie sheet. Place the pumpkin, in the pan, on the cookie sheet into the oven on the bottom rack.
After about 2 hours, bring 1 can of Coconut Milk to a boil. Carefully remove the pumpkin lid and add the hot Coconut Milk to the pumpkin. Replace the lid and continue cooking.
Cook the pumpkin until the internal temperature reaches at least 165° Fahrenheit (a total of about 4 hours).
Prepare 4 servings of Basmati Rice.
Sauce Directions
TBD
Vegetable Medley Directions
While the pumpkin cools, pan-fry (with a teaspoon or two of olive oil) the quartered Artichoke Hearts until they are slightly browned. Add the Chimmichurri sauce and Lemon juice, then mix in the Cauliflower. Cover and cook on medium heat for a few minutes. Add the Red and Green Bell Peppers and cook for a few more minutes.
Serving Instructions
Carefully use two large spatulas to move the Pumpkin to a serving tray.
Cover each plate with a bed of rice. Add vegetables. Using a ladle, add a couple of scoops from the pumpkin onto each plate. Ensure that you include some pumpkin flesh on each plate.
Cover with Sauce and serve.
