Umqa with fragrant tomato & exotic mushrooms

Abigail’s take on the traditional Xhosa cornmeal porridge dish

SERVES: 4 TAKES: 45 MINS

INGREDIENTS

200g butternut squash or pumpkin

chopped into cubes 50ml vegetable stock 100g butter pinch of ground nutmeg 200g cornmeal or polenta 200g large tomatoes, quartered 1 large red onion, quartered 1 medium-sized sweet pepper,

quartered 2 garlic cloves, crushed 50ml verjuice 20ml maple syrup 150ml olive oil handful of fresh basil, finely

chopped 3 sprigs fresh thyme 200g various mushrooms few drops of truffle oil fresh basil, to garnish

METHOD

Heat oven to 220C, fan 200C, gas 7. Put the butternut squash in a pot with the vegetable stock and 200ml water and bring to the boil. Add 50g of the butter, the nutmeg and a pinch of salt, then slowly pour in the cornmeal while stirring with a whisk (the mixture should be smooth, creamy and soft). Simmer for 30 mins.

Put the tomatoes, onion, sweet pepper and garlic into a roasting pan and season with salt, then roast for 15 mins.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor with the verjuice, maple syrup, olive oil, basil and thyme. Blitz to a smooth consistency, then tip into a saucepan with a little more olive oil and simmer for around 5 mins.

Sauté the mushrooms in the remaining butter in a separate pan, then add a pinch of salt.

Divide the tomato mix between four bowls, then spoon over the umqa. Drizzle with the truffle oil, top with the sautéed mushrooms and garnish with the basil.