Shrimp in a baked pumpkin

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Wash the pumpkin and cut a lid 3 cm below the stalk; scoop out the seeds and fibres with a spoon. Season the inside with salt, replace the lid, wrap in foil and bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife but the skin is still firm (it should not slump).
2. Meanwhile, thaw the shrimp (if frozen), drain and season with the lime juice, salt and black pepper.
3. Make fluffy white rice: boil 750 ml of water in a kettle. In a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over low heat and soften ½ onion, finely chopped, with a pinch of salt for 2 minutes; add 300 g of long-grain rice and stir for 1 minute until every grain is coated. Pour in the boiling water, add 1 teaspoon of salt, stir once and cook uncovered over medium heat until the water drops to the level of the rice (about 7 minutes). Lower the heat, half-cover and cook 8 minutes more until dry; turn off the heat, keep covered for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.
4. Chop 1 onion and the garlic and dice the deseeded tomatoes. In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil and cook the onion for 3 minutes and the garlic for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, just until pink; lift them into a bowl.
5. In the same pan, add the tomato and passata and cook for 5 minutes until thickened. Return the shrimp, turn off the heat and stir in the cream (creme de leite), 150 g of the cream cheese (in place of requeijão cremoso) and the chopped parsley and chives. Adjust the salt.
6. Unwrap the pumpkin, spread the inside with the rest of the cream cheese and fill it with the shrimp cream. Return it to the oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
7. Serve at the table in the pumpkin itself, scraping some flesh into each spoonful, with the rice alongside.