Five-Spice Butternut Squash in Cheesy Custard

The idea of a one-pan butternut squash cheesy custard that I can serve for a festive brunch during the holidays is golden. More than any other single preparations, roasted squash in a cheesy concoction is season appropriate as well as comforting. It has incomparable capacity to satisfy, rich and nourishing, and infinitely adaptable. Who won’t like a take-it-or-leave-it approach with whatever is available in the pantry?

Meanwhile, the dish also reminds me some of my all-time favorites: squash, quince and stilton quiche from Ottolenghi’s Plenty More, and cherry clafoutis. These are impressive crowd pleasers that you can whip up easily when there are the unexpected guests. By the way, I find the whole notion of unexpected guests energizing. Hope upon hope for a return to normalcy dominates my head space for quite a while. Sometimes it helps to be that eternal optimist. If not anything, it gets me cranking out new dishes.

This is a working outline for making brunch this season. First, roast the squash (the diversity of what’s available makes me happy) ahead of time. Make the custard base (as long as there are eggs and cheeses in the fridge) when you’re ready, or at the last minute. Then pour the frothy custard over the roasted squash and bake. Over the years, the process has been tested over and over in my kitchen. When you’re in the mood, you may want to take the extra step, like adding a pie or pastry dough — and make a quiche. To begin, start with a 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet. Remember, the goal is to cook everything in one-pan, leaving you less dirty dishes to wash.

This recipe recently shows up on the New York Times, titled: Yotam Ottolenghi’s Rules for Brunch. It’s an interesting read which gives you a few pointers for flavorful and efficient strategy to dial-up holiday dishes for company. Most notable to me is the smell of warm spices of clove, star anise and cinnamon when you’re baking the custard. The incredible aroma instantly conjures up the jolly atmosphere of the season. Can’t help wondering whether the taste of the food will be just as amazing.

My issue with the recipe, however, has nothing to do with the taste. I use Ottolenghi’s recipe as a starting point. In the first of the three bakes, the custard did not set as I’d have expected. The custard cuddled. The heat might have been too intense. I thought the half-and-half (which I substituted) may have something to do with it. That could be the culprit since it has lower fat content than heavy cream, which the recipe calls for. In the second attempt, I sticked with heavy cream. Still I found the custard to be too runny. The texture was not quite right. (I might not have mixed or cooked the custard base thoroughly prior to baking it.) Well, the third is the charm. That involves abandoning the recipe for the custard base and simplifying the toppings, while I’m at it.

Another takeaway: making custard requires precise temperature control. It’s a tricky operation! Stay with a trusty and fool-proof recipe. There are so many ways a complicated recipe can go wrong.

I went back to a basic quiche recipe (and no cooking of the custard base), using whole eggs and heavy cream. Roughly, the ratio is 1 part egg: 2 parts liquid, or 4 large eggs, two cups/ 495 ml cream (half and half is fine here), and about 3/4 cup of grated Gruyère. Reserve half of the grated cheese to spread over the custard — with a final cheesy golden crust in mind. Bake the custard at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until it’s set and the knife inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean. Let the custard cool for at least 1 hour before sprinkling with chives and sesame seeds on top.

The custard (on top of the page) has the right jiggle and is satiny smooth. The adaptation works and it feels triumphant!

Print Recipe

Five-Spice Butternut Squash in Cheesy Custard

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• FOR THE SQUASH:
• 1 large butternut squash (about 3 1/2 pounds/1 1/2 kilograms), halved lengthwise and deseeded (stem, base, and skin intact, and one half reserved for later use)
• 5 large shallots (10 1/2 ounces/300 grams), peeled and halved lengthways
• 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
• FOR THE CUSTARD: (not followed in my last attempt, see above)
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons/200 milliliters chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon/200 milliliters heavy cream (double cream)
• 3 ½ ounces/100 grams Gruyère, finely grated
• 4 to 5 egg yolks (80 grams)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour)
• 2 teaspoons white miso (too salty for my taste)
• FOR THE TOPPING:
• 1 ½ tablespoons white sesame seeds
• ¾ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
• ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
• ⅛ teaspoon five-spice powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup/10 grams chives cut in 1/3-inch/1-centimeter pieces
• 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice (from 1 lime)

Instructions

1

Heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/240 degrees Celsius (nonfan).

2

Cut the butternut squash crosswise into 3/4-inch/1 1/2- to 2-centimeter-thick half moons. Transfer to a wide, large cast-iron skillet, skin side up, keeping the slices together in the shape of the butternut squash half. You might have to angle the pieces slightly so that they all fit. Place the shallots on either side of the squash.

3

MIX IN THE SPICES FOR THE SQUASH: In a small bowl, combine oil, five-spice powder, cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Pour this all over the vegetables in the skillet, and use your hands to coat everything nicely, rearranging the squash pieces if necessary.

4

BAKE SQUASH for 25 minutes, or until the squash is soft but not falling apart. Spoon out half the cooked shallots from the pan and set them aside, keeping them intact. Set squash aside to cool for 15 minutes, and turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees Fahrenheit/170 degrees Celsius (nonfan).

5

PREPARE THE CUSTARD, as the squash cools: Add the stock and cream to a medium saucepan, and heat through on medium until steaming. In a separate large heatproof bowl, whisk together half the cheese (50g), the yolks, garlic, cornstarch (cornflour), miso, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Slowly pour the scalding cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly, until incorporated and smooth.

6

POUR WARM CUSTARD OVER THE ROASTED SQUASH: Let it pool all around the squash (avoid pouring it directly onto the squash). Sprinkle the remaining half of the cheese (50g) all over the custard, avoiding the top of the squash. Lastly, gently place the reserved shallots, cut-side up, on top of the custard and cheese.

7

Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes (it takes longer in a baking dish other than a cast iron pan), until the custard is set with a very slight wobble.

8

PREPARE THE TOPPING: Add the sesame seeds to a small frying pan set over medium-high heat. Toast for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned. Add the Aleppo pepper, paprika, five-spice powder and a tiny pinch of salt, and turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the oil and leave to cook gently for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes before stirring in the chives and lime juice.

9

When ready to serve, spoon the sesame topping all over the custard and serve warm.

Notes

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022782-five-spice-butternut-squash-in-cheesy-custard