Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients 

• 1 butternut pumpkin or small Japanese pumpkin
• 1 large potato or 2 small
• bacon bones or chicken carcass
• 1 small carrot
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 small onion

Method

1. Peel and chop vegetables
2. Place all ingredients in a pot of water completely covered
3. Boil, then simmer for approx 2 hrs until all ingredients are overly cooked and water has reduced
4. Remove the bones/carcass
5. Puree the ingredients 
6. Add salt and pepper to taste, if bland add chicken stock, ginger or nutmeg
7.  Put back on the heat and add cream or milk

Sticky Ginger Prawns

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• vegetable oil for frying, plus 1 teaspoon
• large raw tiger prawns 800g, peeled and deveined
• fresh root ginger 4cm, finely chopped
• garlic cloves, 2 crushed
• shallots 2, finely chopped
• brown sugar 4 tablespoons
• white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon
• water 2 tablespoons
• soy sauce 2 tablespoons

Method

Heat a wok, add the oil and cook the prawns until pink. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan and cook the ginger, garlic and shallots until soft. Add the sugar, vinegar, water and soy sauce and simmer gently for 3-5 minutes, until the liquid evaporates leaving a rich coating sauce. Serve the prawns on a bed of noodles with the sauce drizzled over. Top with shredded spring onions and orange rind.