Pumpkin Fries with Cherry Ketchup

It’s pumpkin season! I love thinking of new ways to use pumpkins. Since I am nightshade free yet love fries and ketchup, creativity is required. I tried this combo last week and it was excellent. I hope you enjoy! If you like your ketchup chilled, you may make the ketchup ahead of time.

Duck fat is fabulous with fries. It gives it a rich umami flavor. If you are vegan or you don’t have duck fat, avocado oil works nicely. Actually, you could use any oil that you like in the place of the oils I suggest. The same goes with a he ketchup. You can use any fruit in place of cherries. The cherries are a nice compliment to the pumpkin, but I’ve found that almost any fruit will make a nice ketchup.

I have a post on this blog on how to peel and cut a pumpkin. 

Just follow those directions, if you need the help. Then slice the pumpkin into fry shapes. It’s really not hard, especially with these small sugar pie pumpkins. If you are making a bigger batch, you can try a bigger pumpkin. Just adjust your oil so that it coats all your fries. Adjusting your salt is as easy as licking your fingers. Add enough salt that you can have a salt flavor that you like on your fingers after you toss the fries in the oil. That’s how I know my salt is right. If you get it too salty, just add a little filtered water.

Fries Ingredients:

1 Sugar Pie Pumpkin

2 TB Avocado Oil or Duck Fat, melted

Salt to taste

Ketchup Ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen Pitted Cherries

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Follow my directions here for peeling and cutting your pumpkin. Then cut the pumpkin pieces into French fry shapes. Toss with oil/fat and salt. Place in single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes and then flip. Roast another 10 minutes and flip. Continue roast about 5- 10 minutes more, flipping as needed to brown on at least two sides.

Once you get the fries in the oven, add all ketchup ingredients to a small pot on the stove over medium heat. Bring it to a low boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover with the lid cracked open for about 5 minutes. Remove lid and simmer another couple minutes until cherries begin to break down. Allow to cool about 5 minutes and then purée with immersion blender or a food processor.