Name: Slow-roasted pumpkin with toasted fennel seed and labneh dressing
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: Labneh dressing; 500 millilitre plain Greek yoghurt; 40 gram fennel seeds, toasted; 5 clove garlic, crushed; 200 gram mint, finely chopped; 20 millilitre olive oil; Slow-roasted pumpkin; 1 buttercup pumpkin, peeled and cut into large dice; 1 bulb fennel, finely sliced; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Slow-roasted pumpkin with toasted fennel seed and labneh dressing

Gemmayze St restaurant's head chef and owner Samir Allen shares this delicious side dish recipe that sees slow-roasted pumpkin paired with a fennel-spiked labneh dressing. Try alongside a lamb roast

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Serves 8

Prep

20M

Cook

Marinate

24H

Total

2H 20M

This recipe was first published in Taste magazine.

Ingredients

Labneh dressing

500 millilitre plain Greek yoghurt

40 gram fennel seeds, toasted

5 clove garlic, crushed

200 gram mint, finely chopped

20 millilitre olive oil

Slow-roasted pumpkin

1 buttercup pumpkin, peeled and cut into large dice

1 bulb fennel, finely sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

Start this recipe a day in advance. To make labneh, pour yoghurt into a cheese bag or clean pillowcase. Place in a colander and set over a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight to drain, then discard liquid.

The next day, remove labneh from cheese bag and place in a large mixing bowl.

In a mortar and pestle crush fennel seeds to a powder.

To the bowl of labneh add crushed garlic, mint, fennel powder and olive oil. Mix well and season with salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat oven to 120°C. In a large bowl place pumpkin, sliced fennel, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix until combined then tip into a large roasting tray and roast for 2 hours until tender and golden. Cool to room temperature.

To serve, place pumpkin on a large platter and drizzle with some of the labneh dressing. Place remaining dressing in a bowl on the table as it goes with all the other dishes for this meal (see recipes below).