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Ready for another unique and tasty meal from Armenia? This recipe calls for whitefish, a few roasted veggies, and big ol’ pumpkin. That’s right! You’ll start by cutting a medium-sized opening in the pumpkin and scraping out the insides. After searing the fish and veggies, you’ll whip up a deliciously sweet and seasoned sauce made from honey, butter, and an assortment of spices.

Here’s my favorite part… stuffing the pumpkin! The seared fish, carrots, and tomatoes, along with the sauce, are placed inside the pumpkin and baked. The end result is a slightly sweet, perfectly seasoned, tender fish. See how it all comes together in the video below!

To get started on this tasty international dish, preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a pan with cooking spray and set aside. Next, make an oval cut on one side of the pumpkin and keep it as we will use it as a lid. Remove all the seeds and fibers with a spoon or an ice cream scoop and put the pumpkin aside.

In a large skillet, pour in the oil and heat up. Add sliced carrots, along with 1/2 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of allspice to the skillet. Fry for 1-3 minutes, then remove from the skillet. Next, add the sliced tomatoes and fry for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Prepare the whitefish by removing the head and tail. Cut the rest of the fish into 1-inch slices. Add fish, the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of salt, the remaining 1 teaspoon of allspice, and 2 teaspoons dried thyme to the same skillet. Fry on both sides for 1-2 minutes. Add tomato paste, chili pepper, honey, butter, bay leaves and boiling water and stew for 1 to 2 minutes.

Take the pumpkin and put one layer of the fish into it, then put one layer of fried carrots and one layer of tomatoes. Continue putting the layers till all the ingredients are used. Place the “lid” back on the pumpkin to cover the opening and put the pumpkin on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool and serve with a slice of baked pumpkin!

If you’re in the mood for something a little different, this is definitely the recipe for you! Check out the ingredient list and instructions below.

Yield(s): Serves 2-4

15m prep time

45m cook time

Allergens: Fish

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When you share or print a 12 Tomatoes recipe,
you're making mealtime meaningful.
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Ingredients
  • 1 pumpkin, approximately 5 pounds
  • 2 medium-sized whitefish
  • 4 tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 large carrot, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon salt, divided
  • 2 teaspoons paprika, divided
  • 1 teaspoon allspice, divided
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 dried chili pepper
Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Make an oval cut on one side of the pumpkin and keep it as we will use it as a lid. Remove all the seeds and fibers with a spoon or an ice cream scoop and put the pumpkin aside.
  3. In a large skillet, pour in the oil and heat up. Add sliced carrots, along with 1/2 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of allspice to the skillet. Fry for 1-3 minutes, then remove from the skillet.
  4. Next, add the sliced tomatoes and fry for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
  5. Prepare the whitefish by removing the head and tail. Cut the rest of the fish into 1-inch slices. Add fish, the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of salt, the remaining 1 teaspoon of allspice, and 2 teaspoons dried thyme to the same skillet. Fry on both sides for 1-2 minutes.
  6. Add tomato paste, chili pepper, honey, butter, bay leaves and boiling water and stew for 1 to 2 minutes.
  7. Take the pumpkin and put one layer of the fish into it, then put one layer of fried carrots and one layer of tomatoes. Continue putting the layers till all the ingredients are used.
  8. Place the “lid” back on the pumpkin to cover the opening and put the pumpkin on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool and serve with a slice of baked pumpkin!