Halloween: We're slashing prices!

October 31st is Halloween. The spooky custom on the evening before All Hallows' Eve was originally widespread in Catholic Ireland. The roots of the festival probably go back to Celtic times (Samhain) . Irish immigrants later brought their customs to the USA, and since the 1990s Halloween has also become increasingly popular on the European mainland. In German-speaking countries in particular, local customs such as the Rübengeistern or Traulicht mixed with Halloween, and traditional pumpkin-growing regions such as Styria or the Spreewald quickly adopted Halloween.

The pumpkin is the traditional symbol of Halloween. Originally, the pumpkin lanterns were meant to protect against evil spirits, but today the spooky carved figures are popular primarily as decorations and, of course, as a delicious autumn dish. However, when buying one, you should pay attention to whether it is an edible pumpkin or a purely decorative one.

Basically, you can carve any pumpkin. The most common varieties for the typical orange giant specimens are Jack O'Lantern, Autumn Gold and Tom Fox. Edible pumpkins have the advantage that the inner flesh can still be used for pumpkin soup or puree. If you are looking for a large and inexpensive pumpkin to carve, you should buy directly from the farmer if possible. If you are less interested in decorative carving than in the taste experience of pumpkin, you should have varieties such as Hokkaido, Early Harvest, Muscade de Provence or Butternut on your menu. These pumpkins also go particularly well on the grill in autumn, for example with game.

Of course, you should be equipped with the right knives for Halloween, Norman Bates and Michael Myers aren't the only ones who know that... but horror film references aside. Sharp cutting tools aren't just ideal for carving pumpkins, but also for preparing delicious autumn dishes. For this reason, we have put together a few spooky gift sets with professional knives and other items for you in our FIRE&FOOD shop, and not only that:

We're also cutting prices a little for Halloween!
Check out our Halloween offers HERE now before it's too late... ;-)

Recipe for venison ragout in pumpkin
by Thomas Ellwanger

 

Ingredients for 4 persons):

• 1 kg venison shoulder, cut into 4 x 4 cm cubes
• 5 tbsp oil
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 500 ml red wine
• 1 l vegetable stock
• 300 g root vegetables (celery, carrot)
• 200 g onions, finely diced
• 4 tbsp cranberry jam
• 30 g game spices (bay leaf, allspice, juniper, black pepper
and coriander, all roasted and ground, alternatively ready-made spices)

• Zest / lemon and orange
• Salt and pepper
• Corn starch for thickening
• 1 Hokkaido pumpkin

For the cranberry buns:
• 500g flour
• 50 g fresh yeast (or 2 packets of dry yeast)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 250 ml milk
• 200 g cranberries

PREPARATION:

For the game ragout, sweat the onions in a pan, then add the root vegetables and fry them a little. Add the tomato paste and the game spices and pour in the red wine. In the meantime, season the venison shoulder with salt and pepper and sear it with a little oil on a closed grill plate or a fire plate. Then add to the game, reduce the red wine and pour in the vegetable stock and braise until the meat is nice and tender. Season with salt and pepper and lemon and orange zest. Mix together a little cornstarch and water and give the ragout the desired consistency.

For the cranberry buns, grease 4 dariol molds (alternatively soufflé molds) with butter and set aside.

Make a yeast dough from the ingredients and leave to rest for 50 minutes. Then divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and spread the cranberries on top. Keep some cranberries for the ragout. Fold each piece of dough and place it in a mold with the opening facing downwards.

Preheat a grill with a lid to 180 °C and bake the Buchteln for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

Season the ragout with cranberries and serve in the hollowed-out pumpkin, accompanied by the Buchteln.