Photo: Unsplash
Hold onto your knives and watch your back: it’s peak pumpkin season. This is great news for lovers of roast pumpkin and all the iterations of pumpkin soup, but a risky business for the untrained home cook.
New figures from ACC show there were nearly 400 pumpkin-related injuries suffered by New Zealanders last year.
The majority of these injuries were ‘punctures’ (274) to the finger or thumb area and happened in the home. A small number (38) happened in commercial or service locations, showing that trained professionals can sometimes strike problems with cutting up pumpkins too. Other injuries came from lifting or carrying strain, suggesting that you shouldn’t buy a pumpkin that’s heavier than you can comfortably pick up.
ACC says research indicates that 90 percent of all injuries are “predictable and therefore preventable”. So how do you cut up a slippery pumpkin without ending up in a long queue at the After Hours’ Medical Centre?
Ali Bahmad, senior chef tutor at Weltec School of Hospitality. Photo: Supplied
Ali Bahmad, senior chef tutor at Weltec School of Hospitality, says starting with dry hands, a dry knife and a non-slip chopping board is essential.
“Make sure the handle is dry so you’ve got a really firm grip. If the handle of the knife is greasy or it's got fat on it, it's going to be slipping around and that means more chance of accidents.”
The size of the knife should correspond to the size of the pumpkin – trying to chop up a big pumpkin with a small knife is unlikely to end well, he says.
“Use a really solid knife that’s a little bit larger than the pumpkin, like a general cook’s knife, not a delicate filleting knife.”
Bahmad recommends inserting the tip of the knife through the core or stem of the pumpkin while holding it steady with your other hand on a secure chopping board. When the tip of the knife reaches the bottom of the pumpkin, lever the blade downwards. Remove the knife and repeat this process on the other side to create a wedge that you can then remove.
“That gives you a flat cut surface that you can lie on your chopping board.”
If that seems a bit cheffy, or you don’t trust your knife skills, Bahmad says there’s another more rough and ready method within easy reach.
“Basically, you grab a pumpkin and give it a really good whack on some concrete,” he says.
“Then you rotate it and whack it on the ground again, and it just breaks open. You can hear it crack.
“I’ve done it before myself, but I know people might frown upon throwing their food on the ground.”
If you find it tough to remove the skin, Bahmad suggests using a speed peeler (like you’d use to peel potatoes or other vegetables) rather than a knife.
To store any leftover raw pumpkin, Bahmad scoops out the seeds, puts paper towel over the cut opening and wraps it all up in plastic before storing in the fridge.
“That will keep it fresh for a week to 10 days, but you don’t really want to leave it any longer than that.”
Bahmad, a keen gardener, grew some impressive pumpkins in his Paparangi, Wellington, garden over the summer. While some find pumpkin bland, he says making them taste good is all about seasoning it correctly.
“Something that I tell my students all the time is, when you’re seasoning food, it's not something that comes right at the end before you serve the customer.
Photo: Mae Mu for Unsplash
“Seasoning food is a process that needs to happen through the journey to help develop the flavour. For example, if I’m making a pumpkin soup, I would roast the pumpkin first and season it while I’m roasting it, then I would also season it towards the end of the cooking once it's boiling in the pot.”
Seasoning food in this way brings out a more mellow, rounded flavour, he says.
“If you only sprinkle salt on your food before you eat it, that’s all you’ll taste.”
His favourite pumpkin recipe couldn’t be simpler: “I dice the pumpkin, leaving the skin on, then toss it with a bit of brown sugar, some cinnamon, some thyme and some salt and pepper. Then I roast it in the oven.”
Need more pumpkin inspiration?
Photo: Unsplash
RNZ’s recipe archives have more variations of pumpkin soup than you can shake a wooden spoon at, including Alison Holst’s Really Quick Pumpkin Soup, Lois Daish’s Leek and Pumpkin Soup and Julie Biuso’s Italian Pumpkin Soup.
If you’re already over pumpkin soup, other options include Martin Bosley’s Chicken and Pumpkin Curry, Cameron Petley’s Boil Up or Connie Clarkson’s Japanese Pumpkin.
Still got some pumpkin to use up? Why not have some for pudding? Alison Holst’s Pumpkin Loaf or chef Maddie Grace’s Spiced Butternut Cake with Kawakawa Drizzle.
