Winter squash
Winter Squash Pancakes with Crispy Sage and Brown Butter
From https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/10/winter-squash-pancakes-with-crispy-sage-and-brown-butter/
Yields 12 pancakes
“I prefer my own winter squash pancake — a little more squash, less flour and an additional egg to help it set — recipe but the crispy sage brown butter is inspired by a Mimi Thorisson version. Thorisson recommends 5+ tablespoons butter but I found even 2, or even “2-ish” makes a finish that trickles over the side of a stack just enough that you can taste and enjoy it but not drown in richness, definitely adjust to your taste.
Finally, I can just about guarantee that you will not regret if you double this recipe. The pancakes keep well in the fridge and can also be frozen.”
Pancakes
1 cup (8 to 8 1/4 ounces) roasted and mashed winter squash
1/3 cup (80 grams) yogurt or sour cream
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (about 30 grams) finely grated gruyere, comte or parmesan
3/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
A few grinds of black pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
Butter or olive oil for frying pan
To Finish
2 to 3 tablespoons butter
A pinch or two of salt
A few fresh sage leaves
In a large bowl, whisk squash, yogurt, eggs, cheese, salt, pepper and baking powder until smooth. Add flour and stir until just combined. Batter will be thick.
Heat a large frying over medium-low to medium heat. Coat the bottom with butter or olive oil, or a combination thereof, and spoon in pancake batter, a heaped soup spoon or scant 1/4 cup at a time. Press the back of the batter mound to flatten the pancake slightly. Cook until golden brown underneath, flip and then cook until the color until golden brown on the second side. If this is happening very fast, lower your heat. If you’re worried pancakes have not cooked in the center, you can finish them for 10 minutes in a 250 degrees oven. You can also keep your pancakes warm there until needed. Repeat with remaining batter.
To finish, wipe out frying pan and place butter, a pinch or two of salt and sage leaves back in it, heating over medium. The sage leaves will crisp and the butter will brown in a minute or two so keep a close watch on it. Pour leaves and butter over pancakes and quickly understand why you’ll never have them another way.
To roast squash: For butternut or kabocha, I halve the squash, scoop out the seeds and roast it face-down on an oiled baking sheet that I’ve sprinkled with coarse salt at 375 for 40 to 50 minutes, until tender. I get about 2 cups mashed squash from one 2-pound (i.e. small-medium) whole squash. If yours is already peeled and in, say, 1-inch chunks, it will likely be tender in just 25 minutes (just updated after rechecking my notes).
Cazuela Cookie Bars
From The New Sugar & Spice by Samantha Seneviratne
Makes 24 bars
“When my father was growing up in Sri Lanka, he hard a garden that sounds like something out of a fairy tale —complete with wild pumpkin patch. The curly pumpkin vines grew with such vigor that space became an issue. The only solution was to train them to grow up the sides of the garage and onto the roof. The bright orange orbs would swell and sweeten on the roof, which I imagine was quite a sight. His prolific pumpkins were the inspiration for these bars.
Cazuela is a traditional Puerto Rican baked pudding made with coconut milk, pumpkin, and sweet potato. I decided to pour my version of the creamy orange filling over a thick, crunchy, buttery shortbread cookie. The sturdy crust makes it possible to enjoy a piece with a fork at a more formal dinner or out of hand in a picnic in your favorite garden.”
Cookie base
1/3 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 cups (11 1/4 oz) all-purpose flour
Filling
1 cup roasted sweet potato flesh, from 1 medium sweet potato (about 12 oz)
1 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter a 13 by 9 in baking pan and line with parchment paper so that you have 2 inches overhang on the two long sides.
To prepare the base, with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the salt and flour and beat just until the flour is evenly moistened and the mixture is the texture of a coarse meal. Tip the crumbs into the prepared pan and press down into an even layer. The bottom of a small measuring cup is a great tool for this job.
Base the base until it is light golden brown and set, 20 to 24 minutes. Let it cool on a rack while you prepare the filling.
To prepare the filling, add the sweet potato, pumpkin, coconut milk, heavy cream, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the eggs and process until just combined. Do not overmix.
Pour the sweet potato mixture onto the prepared crust and bake until the filling is set with a slight jiggle in the center, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool for about an hour on a rack then cover and refrigerate until completely cold, at least 3 hours.
To serve, cut around the edges to loosen them from the pan then use the parchment overhang to lift the uncut bars out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Using a long, sharp knife, slice into bars.
Keep these well wrapped in the fridge for up to 3 days. The crust will start to soften after a say or two in the fridge, but the bars will still be tasty.
Cardamom and Star Anise Winter Squash Soup
From A Modern Way to Eat by Anna Jones
Serves 4
Olive or rapeseed oil
1 leek, washed and chopped
1 thumb-size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 green chile, seeded and finely chopped
6 cardamom pods
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
½ a butternut squash
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
2 star anise
8 ½ cups vegetable stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 handfuls of spinach (or bok choy leaves)
TO SERVE (OPTIONAL)
Cooked brown rice
A small bunch of fresh cilantro
Nigella (black onion) seeds or sesame seeds
Green chile, chopped
Lime wedges, for squeezing
Heat a large heavy pan over medium heat. Add a little oil and sauté the leek, ginger, garlic, and chile for 10 minutes until soft and sweet.
Crush the cardamoms in a mortar and pestle and discard the pods, leaving the seeds behind in the mortar. Add the coriander seeds and grind as fine as you can. Add these, with the turmeric, to the pan of leeks, and stir for another couple of minutes to release their fragrance.
Add the squash, sweet potatoes, and star anise and cover with the stock. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Add more water as you go, if needed.
Season with salt and pepper, and then blend with an immersion blender. Stir in the spinach and allow it to wilt.
Spoon into bowls, topped with a few spoonfuls of brown rice, some chopped cilantro, nigella seeds, more chile, and some lime wedges.
From https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/10/winter-squash-pancakes-with-crispy-sage-and-brown-butter/
Yields 12 pancakes
“I prefer my own winter squash pancake — a little more squash, less flour and an additional egg to help it set — recipe but the crispy sage brown butter is inspired by a Mimi Thorisson version. Thorisson recommends 5+ tablespoons butter but I found even 2, or even “2-ish” makes a finish that trickles over the side of a stack just enough that you can taste and enjoy it but not drown in richness, definitely adjust to your taste.
Finally, I can just about guarantee that you will not regret if you double this recipe. The pancakes keep well in the fridge and can also be frozen.”
Pancakes
1 cup (8 to 8 1/4 ounces) roasted and mashed winter squash
1/3 cup (80 grams) yogurt or sour cream
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (about 30 grams) finely grated gruyere, comte or parmesan
3/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
A few grinds of black pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
Butter or olive oil for frying pan
To Finish
2 to 3 tablespoons butter
A pinch or two of salt
A few fresh sage leaves
In a large bowl, whisk squash, yogurt, eggs, cheese, salt, pepper and baking powder until smooth. Add flour and stir until just combined. Batter will be thick.
Heat a large frying over medium-low to medium heat. Coat the bottom with butter or olive oil, or a combination thereof, and spoon in pancake batter, a heaped soup spoon or scant 1/4 cup at a time. Press the back of the batter mound to flatten the pancake slightly. Cook until golden brown underneath, flip and then cook until the color until golden brown on the second side. If this is happening very fast, lower your heat. If you’re worried pancakes have not cooked in the center, you can finish them for 10 minutes in a 250 degrees oven. You can also keep your pancakes warm there until needed. Repeat with remaining batter.
To finish, wipe out frying pan and place butter, a pinch or two of salt and sage leaves back in it, heating over medium. The sage leaves will crisp and the butter will brown in a minute or two so keep a close watch on it. Pour leaves and butter over pancakes and quickly understand why you’ll never have them another way.
To roast squash: For butternut or kabocha, I halve the squash, scoop out the seeds and roast it face-down on an oiled baking sheet that I’ve sprinkled with coarse salt at 375 for 40 to 50 minutes, until tender. I get about 2 cups mashed squash from one 2-pound (i.e. small-medium) whole squash. If yours is already peeled and in, say, 1-inch chunks, it will likely be tender in just 25 minutes (just updated after rechecking my notes).
Cazuela Cookie Bars
From The New Sugar & Spice by Samantha Seneviratne
Makes 24 bars
“When my father was growing up in Sri Lanka, he hard a garden that sounds like something out of a fairy tale —complete with wild pumpkin patch. The curly pumpkin vines grew with such vigor that space became an issue. The only solution was to train them to grow up the sides of the garage and onto the roof. The bright orange orbs would swell and sweeten on the roof, which I imagine was quite a sight. His prolific pumpkins were the inspiration for these bars.
Cazuela is a traditional Puerto Rican baked pudding made with coconut milk, pumpkin, and sweet potato. I decided to pour my version of the creamy orange filling over a thick, crunchy, buttery shortbread cookie. The sturdy crust makes it possible to enjoy a piece with a fork at a more formal dinner or out of hand in a picnic in your favorite garden.”
Cookie base
1/3 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 cups (11 1/4 oz) all-purpose flour
Filling
1 cup roasted sweet potato flesh, from 1 medium sweet potato (about 12 oz)
1 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter a 13 by 9 in baking pan and line with parchment paper so that you have 2 inches overhang on the two long sides.
To prepare the base, with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the salt and flour and beat just until the flour is evenly moistened and the mixture is the texture of a coarse meal. Tip the crumbs into the prepared pan and press down into an even layer. The bottom of a small measuring cup is a great tool for this job.
Base the base until it is light golden brown and set, 20 to 24 minutes. Let it cool on a rack while you prepare the filling.
To prepare the filling, add the sweet potato, pumpkin, coconut milk, heavy cream, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the eggs and process until just combined. Do not overmix.
Pour the sweet potato mixture onto the prepared crust and bake until the filling is set with a slight jiggle in the center, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool for about an hour on a rack then cover and refrigerate until completely cold, at least 3 hours.
To serve, cut around the edges to loosen them from the pan then use the parchment overhang to lift the uncut bars out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Using a long, sharp knife, slice into bars.
Keep these well wrapped in the fridge for up to 3 days. The crust will start to soften after a say or two in the fridge, but the bars will still be tasty.
Cardamom and Star Anise Winter Squash Soup
From A Modern Way to Eat by Anna Jones
Serves 4
Olive or rapeseed oil
1 leek, washed and chopped
1 thumb-size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 green chile, seeded and finely chopped
6 cardamom pods
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
½ a butternut squash
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
2 star anise
8 ½ cups vegetable stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 handfuls of spinach (or bok choy leaves)
TO SERVE (OPTIONAL)
Cooked brown rice
A small bunch of fresh cilantro
Nigella (black onion) seeds or sesame seeds
Green chile, chopped
Lime wedges, for squeezing
Heat a large heavy pan over medium heat. Add a little oil and sauté the leek, ginger, garlic, and chile for 10 minutes until soft and sweet.
Crush the cardamoms in a mortar and pestle and discard the pods, leaving the seeds behind in the mortar. Add the coriander seeds and grind as fine as you can. Add these, with the turmeric, to the pan of leeks, and stir for another couple of minutes to release their fragrance.
Add the squash, sweet potatoes, and star anise and cover with the stock. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Add more water as you go, if needed.
Season with salt and pepper, and then blend with an immersion blender. Stir in the spinach and allow it to wilt.
Spoon into bowls, topped with a few spoonfuls of brown rice, some chopped cilantro, nigella seeds, more chile, and some lime wedges.
Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good
From Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan
Makes 2 very generous servings or 4 more genteel servings
1 pumpkin, about 3 pounds
Salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ pound stale bread, thinly sliced and cut into ½-inch chunks
¼ pound cheese, such as Gruyere, Emmenthal, cheddar, or a combination, cut into ½-inch chunks
2-4 garlic cloves (to taste), split, coarsely chopped
4 strips bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and chopped
About ¼ cup snipped fresh chives or sliced scallions
1 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
½-2/3 cup heavy cream
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment, or find a Dutch oven with a diameter that’s just a tiny bit larger than your pumpkin. If you bake the pumpkin in a casserole, it will keep its shape, but it might stick to the casserole, so you’ll have to serve it from the pot-which is an appealingly homey what to serve it. If you bake it on a baking sheet, you can present it freestanding, but maneuvering a heavy stuffed pumpkin with a softened shell isn’t so easy. However, since I love the way the unencumbered pumpkin looks in the center of the table, I’ve always taken my chances with the baked-on-a sheet method, and so far, I’ve been lucky.
Using a very sturdy knife – and caution – cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin (think Halloween jack-o’-lantern). It’s easiest to work your knife around the top to make it easy for you to work inside the pumpkin. Clear away the seeds and strings from the cap and from inside the pumpkin, Season the inside of the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper, and put it on the baking sheet or in the pot.
Toss the bread, cheese, garlic, bacon, and herbs together in a bowl. Season with pepper – you probably have enough salt from the bacon and cheese, but taste to be sure – and pack the mix into the pumpkin. The pumpkin should be well filled – you might have a little too much filling, or you might need to add to it. Stir the cream with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper and pour it into the pumpkin. Again, you might have too much or too little – you don’t want the ingredients to swim in cream, but you do want them nicely moistened. (But it’s hard to go wrong here.)
Put the cap in place and bake the pumpkin for about 2 hours – check after 90 minutes – or until everything inside the pumpkin is bubbling and the flesh of the pumpkin is tender enough to be pierced easily with the tip of a knife. Because the pumpkin will have exuded liquid, I like to remove the cap during the last 20 minutes or so, so that the liquid can bake away and the top of the stuffing can brown a little.
When the pumpkin is ready, carefully, very carefully – it’s heavy, hot, and wobbly – bring it to the table or transfer it to a platter that you’ll bring to the table.
From Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan
Makes 2 very generous servings or 4 more genteel servings
1 pumpkin, about 3 pounds
Salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ pound stale bread, thinly sliced and cut into ½-inch chunks
¼ pound cheese, such as Gruyere, Emmenthal, cheddar, or a combination, cut into ½-inch chunks
2-4 garlic cloves (to taste), split, coarsely chopped
4 strips bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and chopped
About ¼ cup snipped fresh chives or sliced scallions
1 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
½-2/3 cup heavy cream
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment, or find a Dutch oven with a diameter that’s just a tiny bit larger than your pumpkin. If you bake the pumpkin in a casserole, it will keep its shape, but it might stick to the casserole, so you’ll have to serve it from the pot-which is an appealingly homey what to serve it. If you bake it on a baking sheet, you can present it freestanding, but maneuvering a heavy stuffed pumpkin with a softened shell isn’t so easy. However, since I love the way the unencumbered pumpkin looks in the center of the table, I’ve always taken my chances with the baked-on-a sheet method, and so far, I’ve been lucky.
Using a very sturdy knife – and caution – cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin (think Halloween jack-o’-lantern). It’s easiest to work your knife around the top to make it easy for you to work inside the pumpkin. Clear away the seeds and strings from the cap and from inside the pumpkin, Season the inside of the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper, and put it on the baking sheet or in the pot.
Toss the bread, cheese, garlic, bacon, and herbs together in a bowl. Season with pepper – you probably have enough salt from the bacon and cheese, but taste to be sure – and pack the mix into the pumpkin. The pumpkin should be well filled – you might have a little too much filling, or you might need to add to it. Stir the cream with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper and pour it into the pumpkin. Again, you might have too much or too little – you don’t want the ingredients to swim in cream, but you do want them nicely moistened. (But it’s hard to go wrong here.)
Put the cap in place and bake the pumpkin for about 2 hours – check after 90 minutes – or until everything inside the pumpkin is bubbling and the flesh of the pumpkin is tender enough to be pierced easily with the tip of a knife. Because the pumpkin will have exuded liquid, I like to remove the cap during the last 20 minutes or so, so that the liquid can bake away and the top of the stuffing can brown a little.
When the pumpkin is ready, carefully, very carefully – it’s heavy, hot, and wobbly – bring it to the table or transfer it to a platter that you’ll bring to the table.
Butternut Squash Risotto with Pistachios and Lemon
From Favorite Recipes from Melissa Clark’s Kitchen
Serves 4 to 6
½ pound butternut squash, peeled
6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium leek, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/3 cup dry white wine
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup chopped salted pistachios
Grated parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
In a food processor fitted with a fine grating attachment, shred the squash. (Or use a box grater, but it will be harder to do. You could also just cut it into small cubes; it won’t dissolve into a sauce but will be differently pleasing.) In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook it until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rice, squash, rosemary, and salt. Stir until most of the grains of rice appear semi translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. This means they have absorbed some of the fat from the pan, which will help keep the grains separate from each other as they form their creamy sauce.
Pour the wine into the pan and let it cook off for about 2 minutes. Add a ladleful of broth (about ½ cup) and cook, stirring it constantly and making sure to scrape around the sides, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Continue adding broth, a ladleful at a time, and stirring almost constantly until the risotto has turned creamy and thick, and the grains of rice are tender with a bit of bite, 25 to 30 minutes (you may not need all of the stock). Pluck out the rosemary and stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice if needed. Garnish with the pistachios and optional cheese before serving.
From Favorite Recipes from Melissa Clark’s Kitchen
Serves 4 to 6
½ pound butternut squash, peeled
6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium leek, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/3 cup dry white wine
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup chopped salted pistachios
Grated parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
In a food processor fitted with a fine grating attachment, shred the squash. (Or use a box grater, but it will be harder to do. You could also just cut it into small cubes; it won’t dissolve into a sauce but will be differently pleasing.) In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook it until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rice, squash, rosemary, and salt. Stir until most of the grains of rice appear semi translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. This means they have absorbed some of the fat from the pan, which will help keep the grains separate from each other as they form their creamy sauce.
Pour the wine into the pan and let it cook off for about 2 minutes. Add a ladleful of broth (about ½ cup) and cook, stirring it constantly and making sure to scrape around the sides, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Continue adding broth, a ladleful at a time, and stirring almost constantly until the risotto has turned creamy and thick, and the grains of rice are tender with a bit of bite, 25 to 30 minutes (you may not need all of the stock). Pluck out the rosemary and stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice if needed. Garnish with the pistachios and optional cheese before serving.
Gingered Pumpkin Custards
From Root to Leaf by Steven Satterfield
Serves 4
1 small baking pumpkin or other small fall squash
Butter for greasing ramekins
1 large egg
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish
Pinch ground ginger
Pinch ground cloves
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ cup heavy cream
½ cup whipped sweetened crème fraiche or cream
Nutmeg for grating
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a large knife, cut the pumpkin in half through the stem. Scoop out the seeds and fiber and discard. Place the pumpkin halves cut side down in a roasting pan and pour in a ¼ inch water. Roast until the shell is easily pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes. When the cooked pumpkin is cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop the flesh from the shell. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth the flesh from the shell. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Measure out 1 cup of the puree. If any puree remains, save it for another use.
Increase the oven heat to 400 degrees. Butter four 5-ounce ramekins.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg until frothy. Whisk in the pureed pumpkin, then whisk in the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, cloves, fresh ginger, and salt. Whisk in the heavy cream.
Pour into the prepared ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking pan and set on the middle rack in the oven. Carefully pour boiling water into the baking pan until it is halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the custard is just set, 20 to 25 minutes. Cook completely. To serve, top with Whipped Sweetened Crème Fraiche and grate nutmeg.
From Root to Leaf by Steven Satterfield
Serves 4
1 small baking pumpkin or other small fall squash
Butter for greasing ramekins
1 large egg
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish
Pinch ground ginger
Pinch ground cloves
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ cup heavy cream
½ cup whipped sweetened crème fraiche or cream
Nutmeg for grating
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a large knife, cut the pumpkin in half through the stem. Scoop out the seeds and fiber and discard. Place the pumpkin halves cut side down in a roasting pan and pour in a ¼ inch water. Roast until the shell is easily pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes. When the cooked pumpkin is cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop the flesh from the shell. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth the flesh from the shell. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Measure out 1 cup of the puree. If any puree remains, save it for another use.
Increase the oven heat to 400 degrees. Butter four 5-ounce ramekins.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg until frothy. Whisk in the pureed pumpkin, then whisk in the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, cloves, fresh ginger, and salt. Whisk in the heavy cream.
Pour into the prepared ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking pan and set on the middle rack in the oven. Carefully pour boiling water into the baking pan until it is halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the custard is just set, 20 to 25 minutes. Cook completely. To serve, top with Whipped Sweetened Crème Fraiche and grate nutmeg.
Thomas Keller’s Butternut Squash Soup with Brown Butter
From www.cooking.nytimes.com
Serves 6
1 3-to-3 1/2-pound butternut squash
2 tablespoons canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 sprigs sage
1 cup thinly sliced leeks
½ cup thinly sliced carrots
½ cup thinly sliced shallots
½ cup thinly sliced onions
6 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tablespoons honey
6 cups vegetable stock, more if needed
Bouquet Garni made of 8 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs Italian parsley, 2 bay leaves and 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, all wrapped in a packet made of 2 green leek leaves
¼ cup crème fraîche
Freshly grated nutmeg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced chives
Extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the neck off the squash and set it aside. Cut the bulb in half and scoop out and discard seeds. Brush each half inside and out with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the canola oil. Sprinkle the cavities with salt and pepper and tuck a sprig of sage into each. Place cut-side-down on the baking sheet and roast until completely tender, about 1 hour. Remove the squash from the oven and let cool, then scoop out and reserve the flesh (discard sage).
Meanwhile, using a paring knife, peel away the skin from the neck of the squash until you reach the bright orange flesh. Cut the flesh into 1/2-inch pieces (you should have about 4 cups).
Put the remaining canola oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat, add the leeks, carrots, shallots and onions and cook, stirring often, for about 6 minutes. Add the diced squash, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook gently for 3 minutes, reducing the heat as necessary to keep the garlic and squash from coloring. Stir in the honey and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and bouquet garni, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the squash is tender.
Add the roasted squash and simmer gently for about 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Remove from the heat and discard the bouquet garni. Transfer the soup to a blender, in batches, and purée. Strain the soup through a fine sieve into a bowl. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. Let the soup cool, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Place the crème fraîche in a small chilled bowl and stir in nutmeg to taste. Whisk until the crème fraîche holds a shape. Cover and refrigerate.
Gently reheat the soup until just hot. If it is too thick, add a little more vegetable stock. Heat a medium skillet over high heat. When it is very hot, add the butter and rotate the skillet over the heat as necessary to brown the butter evenly, scraping up any bits that settle in the bottom. As soon as the butter is a hazelnut brown, pour it into the pot of soup -- keep a safe distance, it may sputter -- then stir.
Ladle the soup into six serving bowls. Top each with a dollop of crème fraîche. Grind some black pepper over the top and sprinkle on the chives. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top.
From www.cooking.nytimes.com
Serves 6
1 3-to-3 1/2-pound butternut squash
2 tablespoons canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 sprigs sage
1 cup thinly sliced leeks
½ cup thinly sliced carrots
½ cup thinly sliced shallots
½ cup thinly sliced onions
6 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tablespoons honey
6 cups vegetable stock, more if needed
Bouquet Garni made of 8 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs Italian parsley, 2 bay leaves and 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, all wrapped in a packet made of 2 green leek leaves
¼ cup crème fraîche
Freshly grated nutmeg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced chives
Extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the neck off the squash and set it aside. Cut the bulb in half and scoop out and discard seeds. Brush each half inside and out with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the canola oil. Sprinkle the cavities with salt and pepper and tuck a sprig of sage into each. Place cut-side-down on the baking sheet and roast until completely tender, about 1 hour. Remove the squash from the oven and let cool, then scoop out and reserve the flesh (discard sage).
Meanwhile, using a paring knife, peel away the skin from the neck of the squash until you reach the bright orange flesh. Cut the flesh into 1/2-inch pieces (you should have about 4 cups).
Put the remaining canola oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat, add the leeks, carrots, shallots and onions and cook, stirring often, for about 6 minutes. Add the diced squash, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook gently for 3 minutes, reducing the heat as necessary to keep the garlic and squash from coloring. Stir in the honey and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and bouquet garni, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the squash is tender.
Add the roasted squash and simmer gently for about 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Remove from the heat and discard the bouquet garni. Transfer the soup to a blender, in batches, and purée. Strain the soup through a fine sieve into a bowl. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. Let the soup cool, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Place the crème fraîche in a small chilled bowl and stir in nutmeg to taste. Whisk until the crème fraîche holds a shape. Cover and refrigerate.
Gently reheat the soup until just hot. If it is too thick, add a little more vegetable stock. Heat a medium skillet over high heat. When it is very hot, add the butter and rotate the skillet over the heat as necessary to brown the butter evenly, scraping up any bits that settle in the bottom. As soon as the butter is a hazelnut brown, pour it into the pot of soup -- keep a safe distance, it may sputter -- then stir.
Ladle the soup into six serving bowls. Top each with a dollop of crème fraîche. Grind some black pepper over the top and sprinkle on the chives. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top.
