DELICA PUMPKIN FRITTI WITH CHRIS SHAW

It’s 9am on a Friday morning during London Fashion Week, and Toklas’ kitchen is in full swing.

Rattan chairs are stacked on tables, lights still slightly dim, but the pace is non-stop all the same. Carrots char on the grill, trays of tomatoes are being rinsed, marinated chicken prepped for staff lunch. The team will feed up to 150 by the afternoon.

In the middle of it all, head chef Chris Shaw is slicing through a butter-soft Delica Pumpkin. Not for soup, nor a roast, but for something lighter, sharper, more surprising.

Thin ribbons, dipped in batter, slipped into hot oil. They emerge golden and delicate. Finished with a dusting of Daphnis & Chloe Oregano From Taygetus, a squeeze of citrus and a drizzle of sticky London Honey. Fritti.

In a way, these capture exactly what Toklas stands for: cooking that’s “fresh and unfussy,” as the Michelin Guide put it.

Shaw’s approach is to start with what’s in season, then build the dish around it. “I always start with the vegetables,” he explains. “Pumpkin might be grilled and paired with a pork chop and roasted grapes, but the starting point is always the veg. That keeps the menu dynamic and evolving.”

The Delica Chris uses comes from Oscar, grown in the mineral-rich soils of Sermide, shaped by the ancient Po river. By limiting irrigation, the plants draw deeply from the clay, developing sweetness and complexity.

After harvest, the pumpkins cure for up to 30 days in wood-stove heated barns, slowly losing water, deepening in flavour.

It’s a risky process, but one Oscar refuses to compromise on. The result: rich, sweet and concentrated squash that’s more than worthy of taking centre stage in an autumnal dish.

DELICA PUMPKIN FRITTI

INGREDIENTS

1 Delica Pumpkin
250g 00 flour
200g sparkling water
Pinch of salt
1 tsp London Honey, for drizzling
1 tbsp Daphnis & Chloe Oregano From Taygetus
1/2 tbsp smoked chilli
1-2 Amalfi Lemons 

METHOD

1. Cut the pumpkin in quarters and remove the seeds. Slice the quarters very thinly on a mandolin. We use a meat slicer as we have one in the kitchen, though it’s possible to do this with a knife at home.
2. To make the fritti batter, add the flour to a mixing bowl with a generous pinch of sea salt. Dribble in the sparkling water slowly whilst whisking continuously. The end result should have a thin custard look to it, it should coat the back of the spoon, add more flour or water to get the desired consistency. This recipe also works really well with gluten-free flour as it is essentially cornflour (same measurements and preparation).
3. Pre-heat a deep fat fryer or a large pan with oil to 180°C. If using a pan, make sure the pan is not over half full. Add the sliced pumpkin to the batter and make sure it's coating well. Take them out of the batter by hand or with tongs, drain quickly so not too much batter goes into the pot, then fry in the hot oil until crispy (2 minutes or so).
4. Once fried, take out and drain well. Place the Delica ribbons on a metal bowl or tray and season with salt, dried oregano and chilli. Then, place on a serving plate. It’s worth placing some greaseproof paper on the serving plate first.
5. Once plated, drizzle generously with honey. Serve with lemon or orange wedges alongside, squeeze over just before eating.