I picked up a couple of munchkins from the supermarket. They're mini-pumpkins, although upon reflection, they're probably just immature pumpkins.
The basics of the dish is a seafood and bacon chowder poured into a hollowed munchkin.
Ingredients
Munchkin
Chowder - white fish, lardons, leek, celery, garlic, fennel, springless beans, carrot, fish stock, cream and dill
Flavours - white pepper
Munchkin
Cut the munchkin in half, horizontally. Scoop out the seeds to form a bowl in each half and settle into the oven set to 180C (350F?) for somewhere around 30 minutes to soften the flesh.
Chowder
I call it a chowder, but in reality, it's probably just a cream soup.
In a heavy based skillet, fry off some lardons of bacon.
Using the fat that has rendered, soften leek, celery and fennel. Continue by adding shredded stringless beans, garlic and then a pint of fish stock. Add in chopped carrots.
Slice up a few fillets of white fish - I used pollock. Add to the soup.
We're probably about 10 minutes into the cooking time for the muchkins, so cook the chowder on a medium heat for about 10 minutes. to reduce the stock and compound the flavours.
Sprinkle in some white pepper and pour in cream. Something like 100ml of double cream will do perfect. For folks States-side, your heavy cream will do perfectly well here.
Toss in a generous amount of chopped dill and cook on for another 10 minutes.
The muchkins should now be cooked. If they need a little longer, just turn down the heat on the chowder to its lowest while the munchkins get a few more minutes.
Serve
Ready? Plating is straightforward: munchkin bottom in a bowl, chowder ladled over. Lid on. Serve.
Impression
I've not had munchkins before. Truth be told, I've only eaten pumpkin a couple of times - we don't really "do" these over here.
They were okay. Just okay. As I said at the top, I think they were probably just immature pumpkins. Depsite that, I don't think it will be something I'll try again.
You? You may love 'em ... I hope this gives a fresh idea for you.
