As often happens when I have a product in relative bulk, various preparations need to be made to get the most use out of it. This time it was Kabocha squash There was pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, pumpkin apple galette, and then the following custard. One of the joys of cooking is finding new and different ways to use an ingredient. This is the last round of the current kabocha saga.
In terms of squash size it was not huge, about 5.5 pounds and it’s yield of usable meat was about 11 cups after seeds and skin were removed. That being said, 11 cups of squash is quite a bit to use up in a home kitchen setting. On the other hand, the food coma holiday was imminent and I was going to be prepared.
After making enough Pumpkin Soup to feed at least 7 people for Thanksgiving, and one smallish Pumpkin Pie, there was still enough leftover custard base for another pie. The rest of the dough went into an Apple Sweet Potato Galette. I did not really want to make another batch of pie dough just yet so what to do? There were also some macerated apples and par cooked sweet potatoes in the fridge. The galette was good and the flavors worked well together. The custard base with raw eggs needed to be cooked so everyone in the pot was the idea. No caramelized onions though.
A ¼ size steam table pan was just the right volume. A stick of butter rubbed all around to keep from a major sticking problem and directly into 325° oven for 30 minutes, another 15 minutes and then 10 more minutes until a knife came out clean. I was being cautious with my custard folks. The oven temp was fairly low, but without a pie crust there was no need to rush. A crunchy top was not appropriate.
After a 20 minute cool down to avoid a scalding bite I cut an ugly piece. Without a perfectly sized spatula, this pan can be difficult to serve from especially with a soft warm custard. I did not want to wait at least an hour for a chilled solid slice. I wanted something warm and sweet with my coffee and that is just what I got. Leftovers can be quite tasty as I have said before. Be open to new combinations and eat well.
There was not much to take photos of that had not already been shown in previous posts but apples and sweet potatoes in the pan, same apples and sweet potatoes floating to the top of the custard, and finally, same fruit and root veg fixed in set custard.
I did produce a nice clean slice the next morning for breakfast as seen below. It is a good breakfast with fruit, root vegetables, eggs, and milk. Really, it is.
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