Good Real Food

ingredients:

1/2 (18oz) pumpkin

1 1/4 to 1 2/3 U.S. cups water

3 Tbsps sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2Tbsps mirin sweet cooking sake

1 Tbsp soy sauce
1. Remove the pumpkin seeds and the fibers surroundng them with a spoon. Cut the pumpkins into bite-sized pices (but still as large as possible) pieces, peel roughly and partially, bevel the edges and rinse in cold water.

*(heat pumpkins lightly using a microwave prior to cutting and peeling them; such preparation will make things easier.)

*(pumpkins with the edges beveled are more lkely to retain their shape while simmering)

2. Place the pumpkins with the skin side down in a pot, pour in enough water so that the pumpkin is completely submerged and place over high heat. When it beins to boil skim off foam and reduce the heat to medium low. Add the sugar, and boil briefly. Add the salt, cover with a drop-lid (baking paper) and simmer over a low heat.*(when simmering pumpkins or other soft ingredients that are prone to lose their shape, use circular bakin paper or similar that is soft yet heavy enough to be used as a subsitute for a hard drop-lid.)

3. When the simmering liquid is reduced to about 1/2, add the mirin and soy sauce, and continue to simmer. Remove from the heat when the liquid is reduced to about 1/3. Let rest until cool.TIP - Don’t stir or turn the pumpkin over with chopsicks while simmering. This will cause the pumpkin to lose its shape. Leave the pumpkin intact until the end of simmering.

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