All Saints’ Day Pumpkin

Calabaza de Todos Los Santos

In the Basque countries, Spanish and French, the pumpkin is also associated with the supernatural feeling of the Halloween season. This dish is traditionally found on November the 1st in many peasant homes.

Ingredients:

• 1 large pumpkin
• 1 lb rice, uncooked
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large green pepper
• 2 lbs medium shrimps, sautéed in butter
• 1 tbsp grated onion
• 2 tbsp butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Clean and de-vein shrimps, chop green pepper and garlic. Sauté in 1 tablespoon butter and add onion. Cut the top from pumpkin, remove all the seeds.

• Note: Save the top to use as a lid.

Place rice in pumpkin, put the rest of the ingredients on top of the rice, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Attach the lid with toothpicks. Place pumpkin on baking tray and bake in a 325 oven for 1 – 2 1/2 hours. To serve, remove the lid and scoop out the pumpkin / rice / shrimp mixture. Serves 6 to 8.

From: Authentic Spanish Cooking