There will, I almost guarantee, be a pumpkin left from Halloween. I will balance the sweetness of the flesh with a miso sauce into which I have also stirred mustard and lemon juice. Basted as the pumpkin roasts, the dark dressing will balance the pumpkin’s more candied notes. Sweet and a little spicy – just the thing for a cold night around the bonfire.
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Cut 750g of pumpkin into slim wedges, removing any seeds and fibres as you go. Place the slices in a single layer in a roasting tin (or as near as possible, depending on its size), then spoon 3 tbsp of groundnut oil over the pumpkin. Score 4 apples around the middle with a sharp knife, then tuck them among the pumpkin slices and roast for 30 minutes.
While the pumpkin roasts, make the miso dressing. Peel a 40g piece of ginger and grate it to a paste using a fine-tooth grater. Mix together the ginger, 4 tbsp of sake or sherry, a couple of pinches of dried chilli flakes, 2 tbsp of runny honey, 4 lightly heaped tbsp of miso paste, 2 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tbsp of grain mustard, and 1 tbsp of groundnut oil.
After the pumpkin slices have turned a golden brown in the oven, pour the dressing over them and make sure each is lightly coated. Return to the oven for 15 minutes. Scatter (if you wish) with a teaspoon or two of pink peppercorns and serve with the apples. Serves 4. Ready in 1 hour
Butternut squash will work well here, too, if you can’t get your hands on a pumpkin. It has less dense flesh and tends to cook a little more quickly, so keep a close watch on it.
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