Spicy buckwheat dukkah roasted pumpkin

Tam West

This recipe comes from the menu of Queenstown's Sherwood hotel. Head chef Ainsley Rose Thompson allows 375g pumpkin per person in the restaurant and uses Uncle Joe's whiteheart hazelnuts. Read more about Ainsley here.

Spiced buckwheat dukkah

1 cup	Buckwheat, soaked for three hours (Main)
2 Tbsp	Coriander seeds, ground
1 Tbsp	Cumin seeds
2 tsp	Fennel seeds, ground
2 tsp	Sweet paprika
2 tsp	Flaky sea salt
1 tsp	White pepper, ground
2 cups	Raw hazelnuts, roughly chopped and soaked for 3 hours (Main)
3 Tbsp	White sesame seeds (Main)
3 Tbsp	Black sesame seeds

Pumpkin

1 whole	Pumpkin (Main)
1 dash	Olive oil

Beurre noisette

200 g	Butter
1 small bunch	Sage leaf

Directions

To make the spiced buckwheat dukkah

1. Drain the buckwheat and mix with the spices. Spread on to a dehydrator tray and dehydrate for 3 hours or until the buckwheat is crispy.
2. Place the dehydrated buckwheat in a bowl and mix with the chopped hazelnuts and the sesame seeds. Taste for seasoning.

To make the pumpkin

1. Heat the oven to 180C.
2. Cut the pumpkin in half and then into quarters. Scoop out the seeds then cut each piece into 6 pieces.
3. Toss pumpkin pieces in olive oil and season. Place on a shallow roasting dish and place in the oven to roast until soft and cooked through, about 20-30 minutes.

To make beurre noisette

1. Place the butter in a medium-sized heavy-based saucepan and bring up to the boil. Add the sage (the butter will come off the boil and then foam up for a second time). Watch for the colour change to caramel and an epic aroma. Pour into a heatproof container and cool a little before pouring over the roasted pumpkin.
2. Sprinkle over the spiced buckwheat dukkah.

Ainsley Rose's cleaning tip

To clean your saucepan after making beurre noisette – add boiling water to the pan and bring it up to the boil. This will remove the caramel milk solids from the base.