Denise says:
Succot is a great social holiday with an emphasis on hospitality, appreciation for one another, and having a good time. It is often referred to as Zeman Simchateinu - "The Season of Our Rejoicing.” It is customary to invite friends and family over to your Sukkah for festive meals and to visit many other families’ Succot during the course of the week.
The ideal Succot menu will include a range of seasonal fare¬––autumnal fruits and vegetables––and stuffed foods, which are said to represent a bountiful harvest.
Stuffed vegetables are popular at this time, and this one includes beef, prunes, apricots and tomatoes that are placed inside a Kabocha squash. They are also known as Delica, Ebisu, Kobacha, Japanese Pumpkin, Japanese squash, and Hoka squash and are round, slightly flattened with a rough, hard shell of deep and pale green stripes with a moist, golden flesh and a rich, sweet flavor.
You can bake it either whole or in halves if you have less time to cook it. To bake whole, pierce the skin with a fork several times and place in a shallow baking pan with water. To bake one half, cut the squash lengthwise and remove the seeds. The half section can then be placed on a baking pan with the outer skin down.
When selecting a Kabocha squash avoid those that have a tender skin or show pitting. Store up to one month in a cool dry location with good air circulation. When cut open, the fresh sections of squash can be stored in plastic wrap and refrigerated for a week or less.
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Serves: 8 people
Ingredients:
2 1.5 kg Kobacha Squash with a wide, steady base (Pumpkin can be substituted)4 tablespoons olive oil
675g / 1 1/2 pounds beef, cut in 2cm / 1 inch cubes
2 large onions – peeled and roughly chopped
3 green peppers – de seeded and roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves – peeled and roughly chopped
475 ml / 2 cups beef stock
250 ml dry sherry or red wine
3 tomatoes – chopped
2 bay leaves – fresh or dry
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper – to taste
675g /1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm /1/2" cubes
2 leeks – trimmed and roughly chopped
12 dried apricots
12 pitted prunes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon
Serve with Cous Cous cooked in chicken stock according to the packet instructions
Garnish
Ground cinnamon – to dust the plate
Method
1)Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a deep casserole pot over medium heat. Add beef in batches to brown on all sides.2)Transfer meat to platter and set aside. In same casserole pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Fry the onion, leeks, green pepper and garlic, cooking over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add stock and dry sherry or red wine and bring to boil.
3)Stir in tomatoes, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and cook 15 minutes more.
4)Stir in apricots and prunes and cook for a further 40 minutes while the Kobocha cooks as follows.
5)Pre-heat the oven to 190 C/ 375 F/ Gas mark 5.
6)Cut each Kobocha about 8 cm/ 3 inches from top to form a lid. Scrape out seeds and string fibres from lid and base.
7) Brush the inside of the Kobocha with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Replace lid and bake the Kobocha in a roasting pan lined with non stick baking parchment paper for about 40 minutes.
8)Remove the lid of each cooked Kobocha, transfer the beef stew inside and return to the oven for a final 15 minutes.
To serve the stylish way: Bring the stuffed Kobocha to the table and serve immediately. Dust the plates with ground cinnamon and ladle out the beef stew on to a bed of cous cous. Cut the squash into thick wedges and place along side the plate.