Pumpkin soup with ricotta dumplings and smoked butter chestnuts
This is a classic winter warmer of a lunch, and the dumplings make it even more filling and special.
Ingredients
For the pumpkin soup
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú butter
- 140g/5oz onion, thinly sliced
- 400g/14oz delica pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm/¾in cubes
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 400ml/14fl oz full-fat milk
- 1 tbsp moscatel vinegar
For the dumplings
- 400g/14oz ricotta, drained
- 200g/7oz hard sheep’s cheese, grated
- 175g/6oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 free-range egg, plus 1 free-range egg yolk
- 1 tsp salt, plus extra for cooking
- ¼ tsp mace
- twist black pepper
For the garnish
To serve
Method
To make the pumpkin soup, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onions. Cover with a lid and sweat for 5 minutes, or until softened but not coloured. Add the pumpkin and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the sugar and salt and then pour in the milk and 400ml/14fl oz water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes and then transfer to a blender with the vinegar and blitz until very smooth.
To make the dumplings, place all of the ingredients in a mixer and process until a smooth mixture is formed. Lightly flour a tray. Break off small pieces of the mixture and roll into neat balls between your palms. Transfer to the tray. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a simmer, add the dumplings and cook for approximately 5 minutes. The dumplings will rise to the surface when cooked.
To make the garnish, heat the butter in a frying pan. Add the chestnuts and garlic and cook until warmed through. Mix in the dumplings.
To serve, spoon the chestnuts and dumplings into the hollowed out pumpkin and pour in the soup. Scatter over the deep-fried sage and lemon thyme and serve.
