Peggotty’s Pumpkin Potage

(Auril is gourd harvesting season on the southern island of Talpin; the mild climate, pristine shores, and usually abundant harvest make the island particularly popular with tourists during the colder Arklan months. For this reason, the Peggotty inn is especially busy during this season. Fortunately, Uncle John is a skilled farmer and cook and one of his most acclaimed seasonal dishes has come to bear the family’s name. This is one of the recipe scribbled in Teal’s Ferryman Logbook.)

Peggotty’s Pumpkin Potage:

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs minced lamb (can substitute beef etc.)
• half a cooking pumpkin, sliced into chunks and lightly salted
• fresh mint
• fresh oregano
• fresh sage
• fresh rosemary (all to taste)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch dried ginger, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried spices (mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds)
• 1 tablespoon ghee  
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 2 tablespoons all-spice powder
• 3 fresh chili peppers (any variety), diced
• half a can coconut milk

Method:

• Marinade the minced lamb with two tablespoons soy sauce, soyaki etc, pepper, curry powder and all-spice, and set aside.
• In a large kuali (wok), heat the ghee on high-ish heat for about until it is hot (2 minutes?) Add the teaspoon of dried spice seeds. Wait until the spice seeds stop jumping (1 minute)—add the minced garlic, ginger, and shallot.
• Stir fry until fragrant and the garlic etc looks a little golden brown.
• Add the minced meat and stir fry for another 5 minutes, until the meat is browned.
• Add diced pumpkins, fresh herbs, and diced chili peppers—mix well. When the potage is bubbling vigorously, reduce the heat to moderate.
• Add the coconut milk and mix well. Allow to simmer on moderate heat until the pumpkin chunks are tender (yield readily to a fork).

Usually served at the Peggotty Inn with coconut rice and garlicky greens.