Simmered Japanese Pumpkin

When I was growing up, I learned that a Japanese dinner should include something raw, something pickled, something grilled, something simmered and, of course, a bowl of rice. You might be thinking, "that's a whole lot of food!" but all these dishes would be served as sides without a "main" course. A little bit of everything does you good is the thought process here. This dish, which is made from a Japanese kabocha that I grew in my garden, is a classic simmered side vegetable dish. Pumpkin is a good candidate for simmering, the flesh softens but doesn't cloy as it often does when roasted and the sweet kabocha flavour contrasts well with the simmering liquor that the pumpkin cooks in