Bacon Pumpkin Parcel

A simple and easy to whip up starter...Bacon Pumpkin Parcel .  It is just simply a few slices of japanese pumpkin wrapped in streaky bacon and pan fried till bacon turns crispy on the outside and pumpkin slices are cooked till tender.  A smooth and sweet pumpkin puree goes well with the bacon pumpkin parcels. I love the simple outlook yet full of flavors.  As the parcels are being  pan fried, drizzle rosemary infused oil on the bacon...it gives out a beautiful aroma of the rosemary herb. I absolutely love every bite of it.  This is what I like to serve  my Wild Boar with.  A meat eater who does not really like pumpkin can give it a thumb up...that shows it is really good.  A keeper for sure...try it to believe me.  The Japanese pumpkin puree is so smooth and creamy...a good accompaniment for the bacon pumpkin parcels.

japanese pumpkin is best for the making of this starter

as it has a smoother texture and not  overly sweet 

place two slices of pumpkin  on top of two strips of streaky bacon

start folding from the left to  the right

tuck in the end part under and pan fried with the  tuck in end part facing down

 

now the parcels are ready for pan frying

use rice bran oil for the pan frying of these parcels

gently flip over when the bottom part has turned lightly brown

and cooked till the pumpkin slices are cooked tender 

make a pumpkin puree from the leftovers of pumpkin

 this is a perfectly pan fried bacon pumpkin parcel,

when the bacon is crisp on the outside and the pumpkin slices are  not overcooked

Bacon Pumpkin Parcel - for two persons

6 slices of streaky bacon
6 slices of 1/8 inch thick pumpkin slices - cut rectangle shape

To make pumpkin puree
1 cup steamed pumpkin - puree with a hand blender till smooth
strain to remove any remaining stringy pieces. For a smoother texture, add in 1/2 tsp olive oil

To make rosemary induced oil

a sprig of rosemary - coarsely chopped
a tsp of toasted ground black pepper
2 tbsp of rice bran oil

* heat up 2 tbsp of rice bran oil, off heat , add in  rosemary herb and black pepper and let it rest for 30 mins before using

To wrap the bacon pumpkin parcel

1. Lay out two slices of streaky bacon overlapping each other on a flat board  . Sandwich 2 slices of pumpkin together and place them on the left hand side of the layout streaky bacon .  Start folding them towards the right and tuck in the end. Repeat the process till all bacon and pumpkin slices are used up.

2.  Heat up one tbsp of rosemary infused oil on a non-stick pan.  Gently place the tucked in side facing down and pan fried the bacon parcels till it is crispy and golden brown.  Flip over the other side and as the bacon parcels are cooking drizzle the rosemary infused oil over the surface of the parcels till the pumpkin slices are cooked through.

3. Dish up and serve with the pumpkin puree.

Enjoy!   

Scotch Eggs

A good scotch egg should have a lovely runny middle and a golden ,crispy outside .  I was inspired by Pharma's Kitchen Scotch Egg and decided to try it out myself .  I prefer my scotch egg with a soft custard middle .  I made the boiled eggs using the method used to make lava eggs.  The scotch eggs turned out exactly how I want it to be.  Thank you Pharma's Kitchen for such a wonderful scotch egg recipe .  It is not difficult to make but it does involves a bit of preparation.  Anyway , it is worth the efforts for it tastes delicious !  Great for starter and picnic food .  A favorite dish with the adults and kids will love them too.

You can read more about Scotch Egg from Pharma's Kitchen. He has a  write out on the origin of scotch eggs which I find enlightening.

I am glad I tried it out..it turned out delicious,

custard middle , golden and crispy on the outside

the meat wrap is so flavor packed

love the custard middle, the soft white and flavor packed meat wrap

YUMM!

Scotch Eggs - adapted from Pharma's Kfitchen

Ingredients:

3 large eggs - room temp ( make lava egg )

250g minced pork

4 slices streaky bacon - pan fried and minced

1 handful sage leaves - chopped

2 tsp bbq powder

1 tsp of paprika powder

2 tbsp of bread and milk - soak overnight

1 bowl ice cold water bath

salt and pepper to taste

1 cups of breadcrumbs

2 eggs- beaten

1 cup flour for dusting

Make Lava Egg

Put the 3 eggs in a pan of cold water and bring to a boil. Boil for 7 mins under medium low heat. Keep stirring the eggs gently so that the yolk stays in the center .  Take out and soak in ice cold water. Once cool down, gently peel off shell.  Keep aside.

To Make Scotch Eggs

Put  minced pork and minced bacon in a mixing bowl, add in chopped sage leaves , bbq powder, paprika powder , salt and pepper and bread and milk.  Give them a good mix and divide into 3 balls.

Have 3 plates ready - one with a cup of flour, one with the beaten eggs and a third with breadcrumbs. Start by flouring your hands. In the palm of one hand, flatten of the minced pork balls into an oval-shaped pattie.  

Roll a peeled egg in flour, then pop it in the middle of the pattie. Gently shape the meat evenly around the egg, moulding it with your hands.

Roll the meat-wrapped egg in the flour, shake off any excess , then dip into the beaten egg, followed by the breadcrumbs.  Roll in the egg and breadcrumbs again for a really good coating.

Heat the oil in a deep pan or deep fat fryer to about 150C/300F.  If you have a cooking thermometer , it's a good idea to use it.  Carefully lower the eggs into the pan and cook for about 4 minutes, turning them every so often, until golden.  

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with Scottish Cheddar cheese, some pickle and a few pickled onions.

Enjoy !