Argentinean Stew in a Pumpkin Shell

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 cup dried apricots
• 3 white potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 medium pumpkin
• Butter or margarine, melted
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1 (16 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

Method

1. Trim any excess fat from beef and cook with onion and garlic in oil until meat is browned.
2. Add tomatoes, green pepper, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, sugar, apricots, white potatoes, sweet potatoes and broth. Cover and simmer 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, cut top off pumpkin and discard. Scoop out seeds and stringy membrane. Brush inside of pumpkin with butter and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Stir sherry and corn into stew and spoon into pumpkin shell. Place shell in shallow pan and bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour, or until pumpkin meat is tender.
4. Place pumpkin in large bowl and ladle out stew, scooping out some of pumpkin with each stew serving.