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Kabocha Squash Pie with Black Pepper & Ginger

Yield

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients

  • Kabocha Puree
    1 large kabocha squash
    ½ tsp olive oil
    Pinch sea salt
    Water, as needed

    Dough

    1 ¼ cups all-purpose unbleached flour
    1 Tbsp sugar
    ½ tsp sea salt
    8 Tbsp unsalted butter, frozen
    5 – 6 Tbsp ice water

    Filling

    1 cup heavy cream, divided
    2 Tbsp flour
    1 ½ cups kabocha squash puree
    3 eggs, room temperature
    ½  cup brown sugar
    1 Tbsp fresh, finely grated fresh ginger
    1 Tbsp ground ginger
    ½ tsp ground cinnamon
    ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper , plus more for serving
    ¼ tsp chipotle chili powder
    ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
    ½ tsp sea salt

Instructions

  1. To make the kabocha squash puree, preheat the oven to 400° Cut the woody stem from the top and bottom of the kabocha. Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff from the center. Rub squash all over with a small drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with a tiny pinch of sea salt.
  2. Pour 3 Tbsp water in a rimmed baking sheet. Set the squash cut side down, cover tightly with foil, and slide into the oven. Bake until soft, roughly 50 to 60 minutes.
  3. Set aside to cool, then scoop the soft squash out of the peel and into a bowl. Mash with a potato masher; for a smoother texture, puree with a food processor or stick blender.
  4. To make the dough, in a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and sea salt with a fork. Grate in the frozen stick of butter, rubbing butter into the flour with your fingertips until the flour has a crumbly texture. Drizzle in the ice water, mixing just until the dough mostly holds together. (If you’re new to homemade dough, you can always add more water –– just enough so the dough’s easy to work with.)
  5. Dump dough out onto a section of plastic wrap, gather into a disc, and wrap tightly. Set in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
  6. Preheat oven to 375° Grease a shallow 9-inch pie pan and set aside.
  7. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 12-inch disc. Set in the pie pan, trim excess dough from the edge, and crimp the edges. Pierce all over with a fork.
  8. Carefully set a sheet of foil onto the dough, and add either dried beans, rice, or pie weights. Set on a rimmed baking sheet and slide into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, lift out the foil with weights, and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes.
  9. Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling (but keep the oven at 375°F).
  10. To make the filling, in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together the flour and ¼ cup of the cream. When mixture starts to bubble and thicken, slowly whisk in the remaining ¾  cup cream. Continue whisking until mixture begins to bubble and thicken once again, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
  11. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine kabocha puree and eggs until light and frothy. Whisk in the sugar, spices, and sea salt. Whisk the cream mixture into the squash mixture.
  12. Carefully pour filling into the pie shell. Sprinkle a pinch of ground black pepper over the top. Set on a rimmed baking sheet and slide into the oven. Bake until all but a 4-inch circle in the center of the pie is set, 45 – 55 minutes. If the crust starts to darken too much, shield the edge with foil.
  13. Allow pie to cool completely, several hours or more, before serving. Serve slices with twist of pepper and a dollop of very lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Notes

Recipe adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Walters and featured at https://brooklynsupper.com.

 

For more amazing recipes featuring vegetables from your CSA boxes, visit our recipe archives!

 

 

Kabocha Squash Pie with Black Pepper & Ginger
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