Cheesy Heaven: Meera Sodha’s Recipe For Pumpkin Fondue | Meera Sodha Recipes

As 2025 closes, I wanted to time off you pinch 1 of my favourite recipes: nan pumpkin fondue. This started life arsenic a Lyonnaise crockery that I saw Anthony Bourdain enjoy connected his TV series Parts Unknown astatine Daniel Boulud’s parents’ farmhouse. My adapted type could beryllium a centrepiece of your New Year’s Eve party, wherever nan molten food substance tin beryllium dispersed connected bruschetta and topped pinch pickles. Equally, however, it could beryllium a main repast shared pinch friends alongside a salad, pickles and bread. Either way, it’s built for comfortableness and for joy. Happy New Year to you.

Pumpkin fondue

I utilized a 3kg kabocha squash, but if you can’t find 1 that big, get 2 medium-sized pumpkins instead.

Prep 15 min
Cook 2 hr 15 min
Serves 6-8 for dinner, aliases 20 arsenic canapes

Heat nan oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Using a small, serrated knife, trim a astir 15cm-wide lid disconnected nan apical of nan pumpkin, past scoop retired nan seeds. Cut retired (and reserve) a small other soma from nan cavity to unfastened up nan spread a bit, past swipe successful a tablespoonful of oil, a quarter-teaspoon of brackish and a half-teaspoon of mixed spice.

Heat 3 tablespoons of lipid successful a ample saute pan, past adhd nan chopped bulb and nan reserved pumpkin soma near complete from making nan lid. Cook for six aliases 7 minutes, until soft, past adhd nan garlic, chestnuts, thyme and remaining half-teaspoon of mixed spice, and navigator for 2 minutes. Scrape into a ample bowl.

Heat 3 much tablespoons of lipid successful nan aforesaid pan, past adhd nan mushrooms, half a spoon of brackish and six grinds of pepper. Turn up nan heat, navigator for 15 minutes, until location is nary liquid near successful nan bottommost of nan pan, past transportation nan mushrooms to nan bulb bowl.

In a mean saucepan, melt nan food connected a mean power and, erstwhile it’s frothy, adhd nan flour and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and whisk for a mates of minutes, until smooth. Slowly whisk successful nan milk, beating constantly, until nan condiment thickens, past return disconnected nan heat.

Fold each nan food barroom 25g grated emmental into nan mushroom bowl. Spoon nan operation into nan cavity of nan pumpkin until it’s astir full, past slow move successful arsenic overmuch of nan bechamel arsenic you can. Pop nan lid backmost connected nan apical of nan pumpkin, wrap nan full point successful foil and cook for an hr to an hr and 15 minutes, until a crisp weapon passes easy done nan pumpkin skin. Unwrap nan foil conscionable astatine nan top, assistance disconnected and discard nan lid and scatter nan reserved 25g grated emmental connected apical of nan filling inside. Bake for different 10 minutes, until nan food is bubbling and bronzed.

Take nan pumpkin retired of nan oven, cautiously peel disconnected nan foil and service from nan tin aliases transportation to a platter. To eat arsenic a canape, dispersed immoderate bechamel connected a portion of baguette and apical pinch a cornichon (save nan leftover pumpkin soma for different use); for a main meal, scoop nan soma and bechamel connected to plates and service pinch bread, cornichons and crockery leaves.