Pump(kin) It Up

Saucalot, What else can you do with pumpkin besides the standard pie?

There is so much to do with the orange squash - Soup is always a good way to begin. There is the Paul Bocuse’s baked pumpkin soup - a sugar pumpkin is hollowed out and lined with a double rich stock, heavy cream and slices of bread and baked whole. The soup is served by scrapping the side of the pumpkin with a ladle and filling bowls.

Equally soupy, pumpkin is occasionally combined with coconut milk to make a bright orange Tom Kha. Also, soupwise, the pumpkin popularly appears in bisque – technically, a pureed soup thickened with cooked rice, not cream. Although the rich soup can be vegetarian, both crab and shrimp are very popular additions in pumpkin bisque.

Pumpkin is routinely used in stews. Black bean, pumpkin, corn and tomato stew is a variation on succotash and even though it sounds like the title/characters in a Kingsolver novel, it is a tasty combination. Similar to and probably more original/authentic than Bocuse’s technique for soup - Argentineans make a stew by baking sliced beef inside a whole pumpkin. Though not traditionally thought of as a stew, despite the combination of broth and chunks; pumpkin is a common ingredient in red curry offered in many Thai restaurants.

Pumpkin is still a popular ingredient south of the US. In Mexico there is squash/pumpkin enchilada or throughout the Caribbean there are pumpkin filled empanadas but the flesh is not as popular as the seeds, which apparently have a purpose beyond baseball players spitting them out, they are used to thicken soups and stews, sauces and moles.

In Europe, the French use the pumpkin - la citrouille, in soups, stews and a tart – very similar to pumpkin pie but not as free. But Italian cooks love, amore, the pumpkin in the kitchen and table. Risotto, tortelli, gnocchi, tortellini and the moon shaped zucca agnolotti (very, very, so very good with a gorgonzola based sauce) all prominently use pumpkin. A Venetian might serve fried slice pumpkin with basil, garlic and vinegar, possibly to accompany veal. A little further south on peninsula, cubed garlic - cooked with lardo, onion and garlic is tossed with chili flakes and pasta.

There is of course pumpkin bread, a dense substitution for bananas and nuts but a considerable upgrade over zucchini for a quick bread. Pureed pumpkin is also added to almost any food that calls for baking powder, nutmeg and flour. Muffins, cookies, pancakes and waffles all occasionally, usually seasonally, feature pumpkin.

In a glass, pumpkin is used to flavor stout (with much better results than summertime lagers spiked with berries). Northwest fast-food chain Burgerville, uses Pumpkin as the base of their autumn milkshake, which brings us back to dessert. There is pumpkin cheesecake, sometimes served on a ginger snap crust. And like all cheesecakes it can be very good or if the baker lacks confidence in skill and ingredients - then it is only dense and rich, with little else to offer, as if that is enough. Pumpkin pot de crème is really good and it can be made by essentially following the recipe on the back of the can but instead of pouring the filling into a pie crust, fill up ramekins and bake in a hot water bath until the custard sets: Look for a more detailed post, including a Saucyrecipe as Thanksgiving approaches.

Personally, I still like pumpkin pie – The Saucykitchens version is made ½ as much sugar as normal recipes and uses heavy cream instead of sweetened condensed milk – the result is a savory rich custardy pie. The low sugar to vegetable ratio makes slice of pie seem like a reasonable breakfast choice.

The subject of pumpkins will continue in the next Saucyman – I know it is hard to wait for lessons in history and taxonomy but it will be up in the next post. Next week, writers and food will populate the digital pages of Saucyman.

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