A butter’ way to celebrate Roast Day!

This Sunday (August 5) is Selaks New Zealand Roast Day, a day of bringing family and friends together to break bread and share good food.

So, to help our readers celebrate in style, we have a roast recipe to rave about, courtesy of acclaimed Christchurch chef, Jonny Schwass.

Selaks has been bringing people together for more than 78 years and is determined to ensure the roast retains its rightful place in our country’s rich epicurean history. And, with so many tasty treats on offer, this week we think it only fair to raise a toast to the host who can boast the most roast… thanks Selaks!

Butternut pumpkin stuffed with big cous cous and dried fruit
By Jonny Schwass

(Serves four)

You will need:

2 small sized butternut pumpkin, roasted whole for 30 minutes
1 cup big grain cous cous, such as Moghrabieh or Israeli (available in most supermarkets)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
½ cup spring onion, chopped
½ cup carrot, finely chopped
1 cup vegetable stock or water
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons dried apricots chopped
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Zest of one lemon

To prepare:

Heat oven to 180°C on fanbake setting. Cut roasted pumpkins in half, remove the seeds and discard.  Scoop out flesh of the pumpkin and set flesh and skin aside.

Heat a thick-bottomed pan on medium heat, add cous cous, olive oil and stock; stir briefly.

Turn the heat down and cover pot with a firm-fitting lid. Cook for a further three minutes and then remove from heat. Leave for 10 minutes, allowing the cous cous to steam until it is tender. After 10 minutes remove the lid, add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

Chop the reserved pumpkin into bite-sized pieces then add to the cous cous mix. Fill the shell of the pumpkin with cous cous mix and roast in oven for 30 minutes.

Serve with a good wine (suggested wine match: Selaks Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Gris) and… enjoy!

Click here for more roast recipes and inspiration from Jonny Schwass. If you also have a roast to boast about, click here to submit your own recipe and be in to win a year’s supply of Selak’s wine!