Halloween Pumpkin Pie
750g pumpkin
350g sweet short crust pastry
140g caster sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs beaten
5g butter melted
Place the pumpkin in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender.
Drain pumpkin; let cool.
Heat oven to 180’C.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a 22cm loose-bottomed tart tin.
Chill for 15 minutes.
Line the pastry with baking parchment and baking beans, then bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the beans and paper, and cook for a further 10 minutes until the base is pale golden and biscuity.
Remove from the oven and allow cooling slightly.
Increase oven to 220’C.
Push the cooled pumpkin through a sieve into a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, salt, nutmeg and half the cinnamon.
Mix in the beaten eggs, melted butter and milk, then add to the pumpkin purée and stir to combine.
Pour into the tart shell and cook for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180’C/160’C fan/gas 4.
Continue to bake for 35-40 minutes until the filling has just set.
Leave to cool, and then remove the pie from the tin.
Mix the remaining cinnamon with the icing sugar and dust over the pie.
Serve chilled
Recipe by Ryan Berichon, Executive Chef at My Chef and Blue Strawberry, a leading Durban catering company.