Warm Roast Pumpkin and Red Rice Salad with Green Mole and Al Ajillo Chestnuts
Ingredients
Mole [moll-ay] means sauce in Spanish. This is simple one with soaked almonds, parsley and tarragon adds a creamy freshness against the backdrop of the nutty rice, chilli-spiked chestnuts and the earthy squash. Serves 4.
200g red rice
600g pumpkin / squash, cut into wedges (skin on)
1/tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to season
For the green mole:
60g parsley, coriander or tarragon (a mix of green herbs)
80g almonds, soaked for ½ hour in just-boiled hot water
1 garlic clove
1 lime, juice
1 small shallot, peeled and chopped
35ml extra virgin olive oil
½ tbsp cider vinegar
salt & pepper to season
For the chestnuts al ajillo:
2 guajillo chilies
80ml olive oil
Half a head of garlic
100g cooked chestnuts
Recipe
Preheat the oven to 200C/ gas 6. If you are using Delica pumpkin or onion squash, there is no need to peel it. Simply halve, remove the seeds and cut into slices. 10-15mm thickness is a good size. Rub with the oil, cinnamon, salt & pepper and spread out onto a baking sheet in one layer, with the wedges standing up if possible.
Cover the rice in boiling water, season to taste and cook according to packet instructions. While it is cooking, make the mole. Whiz the soaked almonds in a blender with 200ml of the soaking water, then add the rest of the mole ingredients. Blend to a smooth purée. It should be the consistency of double cream; thin it down with a little more water or olive oil, if needed. Season to taste.
Now de-stalk 2 guajillo chillies and shake out the seeds. Slice them into rings with a pair of scissors. Bash the garlic cloves a few times to release the skins and finely slice. Warm the olive oil in a small frying pan and add the garlic, chestnuts and chillies. Sautee for 3-4 minutes, stirring repeatedly, until the garlic is pale golden and the chestnuts have coloured. Season with sea salt.
When you’re ready to serve, warm the mole gently in a pan over a low heat for 5 minutes. Spoon the rice onto a large platter then top with warm pumpkin wedges, generous drizzles of green mole and garnish with the guajillo chestnuts.
