Delicious game and pumpkin recipes à la chef Christoph

Pumpkin time in Grandma Katharina’s herb garden

Hokkaido pumpkins grow in Grandma Katharina’s herb garden. In September and October, it is pumpkin harvest time. But you have to know exactly when a pumpkin is ripe, because it changes colour early. An orange colour does not mean that you should harvest it right away. That’s why Grandma Katharina briefly knocks on the pumpkin, before she pulls out her sharp harvest knife. If the pumpkin sounds dull and hollow, it is ripe and can be harvested. Then it can also go straight into the kitchen and into the “magic hands” of chef Christoph.

Just get a bit of a holiday feeling to your home. With our favourite autumnal recipes, you will certainly succeed. So, get out the pots and pans and start cooking!

 

Creamy risotto with pumpkin and pecorino

Ingredients:

500 g pumpkin pulp, cut into strips (Hokkaido or butternut squash)

2 shallots, finely diced

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter, melted

350 g risotto rice

100 ml white wine or sparkling wine

1 litre vegetable broth, hot

100 g butter, diced, cold

3 tbsp cream

50 g pecorino (Italian sheep’s cheese), finely grated

Salt

White pepper, ground

Cress

Pumpkin seeds

Preparation:

• Heat the olive oil and melted butter in a saucepan which should be not too small (at least 20 cm in diameter). Glaze the shallots and the add pumpkin strips.
• Add the rice and steam it briefly. Squeeze in the garlic through a press. Pour in white wine and bring to the boil.
• Gradually stir in the vegetable broth. The rice should always be covered with fluid. Steam for about 20 minutes until the rice is soft. Stir frequently!
• Once the rice is firm to the bite, reduce the heat or remove the pot from the hob. Stir in the cold butter cubes, cream and pecorino until a creamy risotto has formed.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds and cress.

Autumnal deer goulash with porcini dumplings

Ingredients for the deer goulash:

1 kg deer shoulder, cleaned and cut into 3 cm cubes

150 g smoked bacon, cut into small cubes

250 g onions, cut into fine cubes

6 tbsp butter lard or oil

1 litre water or vegetable broth, cold

2 tbsp paprika powder, sweet

20 g flour

125 ml sour cream

10 g salt

Ingredients for the porcini dumplings:

250 g dumpling bread

60 g onions, cut into fine cubes

60 g butter

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

200 ml milk

3 eggs

40 g coarse-grained flour

100 g porcini mushrooms, dried

Salt

Preparation of deer goulash:

• First heat the butter lard or oil, lightly roast the bacon in it, add the onions and roast them until light
• Add the meat, sprinkle with peppers, stir and pour in the water or vegetable broth.
• Add salt, over the pot with a lid and steam until the meat is soft. Add liquid as necessary.
• After 2 to 2.5 hours, lift the meat out of the juice. Mix the flour with sour cream and stir it into the sauce. Cook briefly until you reach the desired thickness and return the meat.

Preparation of porcini dumplings:

• Soak porcini mushrooms in water while weighing them down with an object like a small plate so that all the mushrooms are immersed. After half an hour, strain the mushrooms, squeeze the water out and cut them in fine strips.
• Heat the butter and lightly roast the onion. Add the parsley and the porcini mushrooms, pour in milk and heat slightly. Allow the milk to cool, stir in the eggs and them well, and pour the mixture over the dumpling bread. Salt a little, mix well (do not knead!) and let the dough swell for 20 minutes.
• Spread the flour loosely over the mixture. Form dumplings with wet palms. Simmer dumplings on a low heat for 10 to 12 minutes in boiling salted water.

Ramsi’s pickled pumpkin

Ingredients:

500 g pumpkin pulp (best is muscat squash)

200 ml white wine vinegar with not more than 5% acidity

200 ml water

3 cloves

1 bay leaf

20 g mustard seeds

4 juniper berries

50 g cane sugar

1 small whole chilli pepper

1 tablespoon butter

Optional:

1 half piece of cinnamon bark

4 dried allspice berries

Preparation:

• Mix white wine vinegar, water and cane sugar and bring to the boil. Add cloves, bay leaf, mustard seeds, juniper berries and chilli pepper and cook lightly for 2 minutes.
• Cut the pumpkin meat into equal sized pieces (2-3 cm), cook in the brew for 5 minutes and leave to cool. Leave to the fridge for 24 hours.
• When serving, lift the pieces of pumpkin out of the brew, drain and lightly melt in a pan with a tablespoon of butter.
• Tip: The pumpkin can also be stored in preserving jars. To do this, fill the cooked pumpkin directly into jars and pour over with the liquid, close immediately and allow to cool.

Ramsi’s pickled pumpkin is a great match for game dishes, such as our deer goulash. Just try it out and taste the autumn flavours!

At home in the nature adventure world!

The Ramsi family.