Baked Pumpkin with Cippolini Onion and Porcini Mushroom

Baked Pumpkin with Cippolini Onion and Porcini Mushroom
6 baby pumpkins (about 3 inches in diameter)
1 pound cippolini onions
1 cup dry porcini mushrooms
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Soak dry porcini mushrooms in beef stock for 1 hour.
Cut tops off pumpkins, starting at the outermost edge of top, and working around.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Scoop out seeds and stringy fibers, wash fibers from seeds and reserve.
Place pumpkins and tops into baking dish, pour 1 cup of water into pan, and cover with foil.
Bake pumpkins for 30 minutes, remove foil, taking care with escaping hot steam. Pumpkins should be firm enough to hold their shape, but somewhat pliant. Place pumpkin seeds on baking sheet, sprinkle lightly with salt, and cook in oven for 10 minutes.
In a sauté pan over medium heat, pour in olive oil and add cippolini onions. Sprinkle sugar evenly over onions, and lower temperature to medium low, allowing sugar to caramelize.
When the onions are a golden brown color, return heat to medium. Add the chopped garlic, and when the garlic has turned a light brown, deglaze the pan with the white wine, and reduce until the wine is almost completely evaporated.
Add the mushrooms and beef stock and reduce by half.
Add the heavy whipping cream, salt and pepper, and reduce until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Return pumpkins to oven, and bake for 3 minutes, or until hot.
Place each pumpkin on serving plate and fill with cippolini-porcini cream, allowing a small amount to flow over one side, leaning pumpkin top against opposite side. Garnish with pumpkin seeds around the plate and sprig of Italian parsley.
Serves six.
Nutrition values per serving: 382 calories, 25 g fat, 32 g carbohydrates, 8 g fiber, 11 g protein, 55 mg cholesterol, 137 mg sodium.
Carmichael's, Chicago