How to roast a pumpkin

Despite the fact that the usual interpretation of the word "frying" is the process of cooking the product in the pan, in the broader sense of the word "fry" is to cook food in the oven. Determining factor here is the presence of heat and lack of fluids – water, broth, etc. In the pan of uncooked pumpkin is fried, cut into very thin slices, which is difficult, considering the thickness of the pumpkin peel, and zapanirovat. But to roast the pumpkin in the oven much easier.

You will need

• • pumpkin:
  • the pan;
  • baking paper;
  • spices and herbs;
  • olive oil/maple syrup/liquid honey.

Instruction

1. Choose not too large a pumpkin – they are much sweeter and their flesh is not so fibrous. Too small pumpkin also not worth taking – there is not enough pulp. Exception – pumpkin-varieties of squash, they are edible, even the peel, but inedible seeds. On a good pumpkin no stains, marks, mold. She has the dry stem and solid wax shell, when you knock on a ripe pumpkin – it produces a hollow sound. The season for pumpkins begins in late summer and lasts until early autumn, you can also keep intact the vegetable before winter.
2. Wash and dry your vegetable. Cut the top of the pumpkin, the one with the "tail", having around it, closer to the stem, with a sharp knife. Pull the stem and remove the top. With a spoon remove the fiber and seeds. Cut the pumpkin in half and again go over it with a spoon. Put seeds to the side, they still will be necessary.
3. Cut the pumpkin into several large pieces-slices. Prepare dishes with vegetable oil, line a baking sheet with baking paper, remove the spices. You can season the pumpkin with chopped garlic, fresh or dried leaves of thyme, rosemary, sage, sprinkle it with sea salt, pepper, cinnamon or brown sugar and dip is not vegetable oil, and honey or maple syrup.
4. Dip the slices of pumpkin into butter or syrup/honey, spoon on a baking sheet in a single layer and sprinkle on herbs and spices to taste. Place baking sheet in a preheated 200oC oven for 20 - 30 minutes, depending on thickness and length of the slices.
5. Roasted pumpkin can be served as a side dish, it can be put in salads, used in purees and soups, baking with it a variety of pies, cookies, muffins and so on. In the pumpkin of medium size only edible pulp, small pumpkins, as a rule, can be eaten and baked the peel.
6. Pumpkin seeds it is possible to fry in the pan. To do this, they should be released from the fibers, rinse well and leave overnight, spread a thin layer on a disposable paper towel for drying.
7. A large, preferably cast-iron skillet or other heavy-bottomed, warm up and put on her pumpkin seeds. Fry them stirring constantly. When the seeds become Golden, will begin to burst and emit a pleasant aroma, turn off the fire. Pumpkin seeds can be seasoned with salt, garlic or onion powder, Cayenne pepper. If you like very salty sunflower seeds, don't hope on the salt, which you sprinkled on them, and it is better to soak seeds in a solution of 4 tablespoons of salt to 1 Cup of water. Keep them in brine at least 12 hours, then dry and fry.