Camarão na Moranga

Method

1. 1
   • pumpkin2½ kg
   • salt2 tsp
   • butter30 g

   Hollow out the pumpkin — Heat the oven to 190°C. Cut a wide lid from the top of the pumpkin at a slight inward angle so it will sit back in place, scrape out every seed and fibre, and rub the whole cavity with the softened butter and half a teaspoon of the salt.

2. 2
   • pumpkin2½ kg

   Roast the shell until tender — Sit the pumpkin and its lid in a deep roasting tin, cover loosely with foil and bake for about an hour. It is ready when a knife slides into the flesh with no resistance but the shell still stands up on its own.

   ⏱1 hr
3. 3
   • pumpkin2½ kg
   • shrimp600 g
   • lime juice2 tbsp
   • salt2 tsp
   • white pepper½ tsp

   Marinate the prawns in lime — While the pumpkin roasts, toss the shrimp with the lime juice, half a teaspoon of the salt and the white pepper and keep them in the fridge. Do not leave them in the acid much longer than the roasting time or the flesh turns chalky.

4. 4
   • olive oil3 tbsp
   • onion1
   • garlic4
   • tomato paste2 tbsp

   Build the tomato base — Warm the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat and cook the onion until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and fry for 2 minutes more, until the paste darkens to brick red and smells sweet rather than raw.

5. 5
   • shrimp600 g
   • coconut milk2 dl
   • heavy cream1½ dl
   • cream cheese200 g

   Make the creamy filling — Pour in the coconut milk and heavy cream, bring to a bare simmer and let it reduce for 5 minutes. Whisk in the cream cheese a spoonful at a time until the sauce is glossy and smooth, then slide in the shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, only until they turn pink and curl.

   ⏱5 min
6. 6
   • pumpkin2½ kg
   • fresh cilantro3 tbsp

   Fill the shell and bake — Scrape three or four spoonfuls of the soft roasted flesh from inside the pumpkin and stir them into the sauce to thicken it. Spoon the filling into the shell, put the lid back on and return it to the oven for 10 minutes, then scatter with cilantro and serve straight from the shell.

   ⏱10 min