Whole Baked Pumpkin with Chorizo and Pearl Barley Stuffing

A baked and stuffed whole Kent or Jap pumpkin is a real crowd pleaser, and goes a long way as a vegetable side dish. It is a delicious and very economical way to serve pumpkin with an interesting filling which is also versatile, be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Using a smaller pumpkin, weighing about 1200 grams, ensures that it should bake within an hour. 

I used a spicy chorizo and lots of herbs in this filling, which combined with cooked barley, which was left over from soup that I had made, was delicious and quite earthy in flavour as well. Make your own stuffing, from bits and pieces you have on hand. Be creative. Cooked rice is a very popular grain to use as well. The secret to success is choosing a smaller pumpkin, which can be cooked within an hour when stuffed. There's no need to bake the pumpkin first. This way, the flavours of the stuffing infuse the pumpkin cavity, creating a delightful dish.

Did you know that the stem or handle of the pumpkin, which connects it to the vine, is actually called a peduncle? There's a fun fact for you. It's great to leave it on when you bake the pumpkin whole, for visual effect.

Ingredients:

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C.

1 whole Kent Pumpkin, about 1200 grams, stem or peduncle left on (also called Jap pumpkin)

250 g cooked barley

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1 tablespoon finely chopped sage

olive oil

1 whole chorizo sausage (100 g), chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt to taste

freshly ground pepper

Method:

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a frying pan on a low to medium heat, and add chopped onion, garlic, and chorizo and fry until onion is softened and chorizo is cooked. Stir a few times to prevent onions and garlic from burning. Allow to cool slightly.

To a medium sized bowl, add the cooked barley, parsley, sage and thyme, cooked chorizo sausage mixture, ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. 

Give it all a stir.

Carefully cut the lid of the pumpkin in a circle around the stalk and remove and set aside. Scrape out all of the seeds with a spoon. Lightly oil the outside of the pumpkin and the lid with olive oil.

Place spoonfuls of the barley stuffing into the pumpkin cavity. 

 Place the lid on top of the pumpkin.

Place on a baking tray, lined with baking paper, and place in the preheated oven on the middle rack.

Cook for 45 minutes at 180 degrees.

Check that the pumpkin is cooked by inserting a metal spatula into the outside of the pumpkin. It should penetrate through to the stuffing. If not cooked, bake an extra 5 minutes at a time until it is cooked.

Cook's notes:

• This dish can easily be transformed into a vegetarian meal by omitting the chorizo, and substituting some beans and more cooked grains, seeds and herbs as well.
• I love to buy Kent pumpkins, great flavour and they cook up very well. They are also called Jap pumpkins here, and were commonly called this for years. Not sure why. Any ideas?
• Cooked barley can be substituted with cooked rice, or a cooked gluten free grain.
• Add bacon instead of chorizo for another filling full of flavour.
• Use a variety of herbs depending on what you prefer and what you have on hand.
• I choose a good Mexican or Spanish flavoured chorizo made in Australia. If you like a spicy chorizo, by all means buy that one. This range has a spicy and not so spicy sausage in it's range. No advertising intended.

Preparing your pumpkin.

My Happy Pumpkin, nicely oiled

Here in Australia, pumpkins are available throughout the year, and it is a staple vegetable on our dinner plate. Unlike some parts of the Northern Hemisphere, we don't think of them as just being a Halloween vegetable. When I was younger, the pumpkin we ate was often served only mashed or baked. Now, thankfully, we are coming up with very creative ways to cook and eat it. This is one of them.  Pumpkins are very good quality right now and reasonably priced. We were fortunate to be given this pumpkin by P&J, home grown in their backyard. Delicious. If pumpkin seeds straight out of the pumpkin are  thrown into a garden or the compost heap here,  be assured there will be a pumpkin vine growing within a couple of months. However, they need a lot of room to spread.

Warm wishes, 

Pauline

An original recipe by Pauline McNee @happy_retirees_kitchen, c 2025.