Fondue-filled Baby Pumpkins

By Lindsey Sherrard

Ingredients

Serves 4

Pumpkins

4 x 500g / 1lb 1 ¾ oz Pumpkins

1 heaped tsp cornflour

2 tbsp White wine

150ml / 5 ¼ fl oz Double cream

Sea salt & Black pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

225g / 8oz grated Emmental cheese

225g / 8oz grated gruyere cheese

Croutons

4 x 1cm Slices day old white bread (crusts removed) & diced

Extra virgin olive oil

A pinch of dried herb

Method

1.    Preheat the oven to 180*C fan/200*C/gas mark 6.

2.    Cut the tops off the pumpkins and scoop out the seeds, and if necessary cut a small slice off the bottom so they sit firmly when placed upright.

3.    Blend the cornflour and white wine and then stir this into the cream and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Then add the emmental and gruyere cheese.

4.    Fill each pumpkin about two-thirds full with the cheese mixture,  replace the lids and sit them in a roasting tin and bake for 45 minutes.

5.     Scatter the diced bread in a roasting tin, drizzle over a little olive oil and toss with your hands to lightly coat. Scatter over the dried herb and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden

6.    Remove the lids from the cooked pumpkins, spoon off any excess fat on the surface and give the fondue a stir.

7.    Pile the croutons in the centre of each pumpkin and serve straight away, spooning the pumpkin flesh away from the skin and eating it with the fondue.