Kabocha Squash Purée with Nutmeg and Gruyère Cheese
When I was studying abroad in France, and the weather turned to fall, my host mother Liliane made a gratin de citrouille, a casserole of pumpkin purée and cheese baked in the oven. I remember how strange it sounded, how I was reluctant to try it, and when I did, how delicious it was. The sweet nuttiness of the squash melded so perfectly with the salty nuttiness of the cheese. I swooned. Liliane's gratin remains to this day one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten.
In recreating this dish from memory, I had simplicity and adaptability in mind. First, I didn't grow up eating alot of squash. The most intimately I knew squash was carving pumpkins on Halloween, and those carving pumpkins are bred to become jack o' lanterns, not for eating.
So buying a heavy pumpkin or butternut, peeling and cooking it, sounded like a daunting task. I wanted this recipe to be as simple as making mashed potatoes. Second, I wanted to be able to customize it, depending on how rich I wanted to make it, what I was serving it with, and who I was serving it to. For a light side, you can used milk and a dab of butter. For your vegan friends, try coconut milk and a touch of curry powder. For a super rich version, perhaps to serve with a seared filet mignon, use heavy cream and a full 1 1/2 cups grated cheese.
Steaming turned out to be the best way to prep the squash for mashing. I tried baking in a packet of aluminum foil, but it took too long, wasted a lot of energy, and the end result was a bit dry. I tried boiling, but it lost all its vitamins, became waterlogged, and produced a soupy purée. Steaming gently cooked the squash to a silky smooth texture in 20 minutes.
Gratin essentially means that somethings is baked in the oven with a topping of breadcrumbs and/or cheese until it produces a caramelized crust. A homemade mac and cheese is a gratin.
As a side for 4-6 people, you will need:
- One 3-4 pound winter squash with a firm, dense texture, about 4 cups when cooked and mashed. I used the East Asian kabocha squash, which has a dark, thin green skin and sweet, orange interior. It tends to grow to around 3 pounds, which is perfect for this recipe. It also tends to be drier in texture than other winter squashes, and this recipe accounts for that. You can use most other winter squashes for this recipe, but lower the liquid levels accordingly. Stay away from spaghetti squash as it will be, well, stringy.
- 1/2 cup milk, half and half, heavy cream, or coconut milk, as you prefer. If you prefer a very light dish, you may use lighter milk products and eliminate the fat, but know that the fat adds smoothness and richness. If you only have non-fat milk in the house, it helps to add a tablespoon or more of butter.
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, grated on a microplane
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher or flaky sea salt
- 1/2 to 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Gruyère cheese. How much cheese you use depends on how rich of a dish you prefer. I personally love using the full 1 1/2 cups, so that when you scoop up a spoonful of hot purée, you see strings of melted cheese. Reserve a handful of cheese for sprinkling on the top.
- Butter or olive oil for greasing the dish
Directions:
Rinse squash well. Carefully cut in half. (The skin can be tough and require a lot of pressure from the knife - if the knife slips - ouch! I find that a large chefs knife is safer because you have more leverage, a broader blade, and more control.) Scoop out the seeds and save for toasting. Using a large metal spoon, scrape the sticky strings from inside the cavity and discard. When the squash is cleaned out, cut each half in half, and then in half again until you have large chucks about 3-4 inches across.
Place a steamer basket inside a large sauté pan or stockpot with a lid. Add water right up to the bottom of the steamer basket. Pile the squash into the basket, preferably in one layer (the wider the pot, the better), cover, and place over high heat. Steam for 15-20 minutes, until the squash is very tender all the way through when poked with a fork. Some thicker-skinned varieties may need a bit more time. You'll know it's done when you see the squash flesh start to separate from the skin.
Remove from heat and set aside until cool enough to handle. Using a spoon, scrape the flesh from the skin into a large bowl, and discard the skin. Add the salt, nutmeg, pepper, milk/cream and/or butter. Mash by hand with a potato masher until smooth, about 1 minute, or use a potato ricers. Add the grated cheese (saving a handful to sprinkle on top) and stir until incorporated. Scoop the puree into a greased oven safe dish with a lid. Top with the handful of grated cheese.
Bake, uncovered, in a pre-heated 375°oven for 20 minutes. (In a pinch, you could also microwave.)
Serve warm with roasted turkey, steak, pork tenderloin, or alongside steamed vegetables and a hearty salad for a vegetarian meal. This would make a great Thanksgiving side for a crowd.