Pieminister: Butter ‘nut nut’ pie

One strand on this blog has me cooking recipes from the book Pieminister: a pie for all seasons (Tristan Hogg and Jon Simon, 2011). Although this variation on American pumpkin pie is in the autumn section of the book (page 154), we still have British-grown squashes from vegetable boxes in the veg rack (and the thicker skinned squashes do keep well).

I made the suggested half-quantity of shortcrust pastry, following the book (page 10; the all-butter Pieminister way). This was barely enough to line the shallow pie dish I was using, but once you taste the pie you realize you don't want to overdo the pastry on this one. The pastry is cooked 15-20 minutes before the filling is added.

The filling is made from boiled cubes of butternut squash blended with cream (200ml), a couple of eggs, soft brown sugar (80g), and some grated nutmeg. I used a butternut squash that was to hand and, not wanting any left, put in more than the amount suggested in the recipe. I kept all the other filling measurements as in the book; it worked fine. The filling gets layered onto the part-cooked pastry base and put back in the oven for about 20 minutes.

I made the topping using flaked almonds (100g), just a few hazelnuts, and walnuts (100g) instead of the suggested pecans. These were pulsed in a blender and mixed with maple syrup (4 tablespoons) and pumpkin seeds (40g). When this has been stirred together it is put over the butternut filling, which should have just set, and the pie returned to the oven for about another 10 minutes to roast the nutty topping.

I am glad I made the effort (i.e., crossed the road to the shop) to obtain the sunflower seeds. Not an ingredient I use much, but they work well on the topping here; the partly-ground nuts with the whole sunflower seeds giving a very satisfying texture. I did not feel I needed to drizzle on the suggested extra maple syrup.

This pie is filling. The book suggests that this recipe serves 6. It will keep our family of four going for at least three days as dessert (with the remaining cream, with yoghurt, with ice cream).

See also:

Pieminister: Homity Pie:

http://sfnottingham.blogspot.com/2012/02/pieminister-homity-pie.html

Pieminister: Courgette & chickpea filo pie:

http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/pieminister-courgette-and-chickpea-filo.html

The Pieminister book:

http://sfnottingham.blogspot.com/2012/01/pieminister-wheres-lard.html

Risotto: This Much I Know

I regularly make risotto. Last week was a bacon and butternut squash risotto. Here’s how I typically go about it.

1. Use a good stock. I make stock from chicken carcasses, with onion and carrot (freezing what I don’t use within a couple of days). Heat stock before adding it to rice.
2. Fry chopped onion, garlic and chunks of cooking bacon in olive oil/butter in a risotto/paella dish (or a large heavy-bottomed frying pan).
3. Use medium-grained risotto rice such as Arborio, which will retain a central chewiness, and not a grain that will turn your dish into rice pudding. The cooking method abrades starch from the rice surface which thickens the cooking liquid.
4. After the onion and bacon has been cooking for around 5 mins, add rice to the pan (and any dried herbs such as chopped thyme). I use almost a mugful for a very generously-sized family meal, and stir around (no longer than a minute) before starting to add liquid. I sometimes add a good splash of wine (if I have a glass on the go) to cook down before adding the heated stock.
5. Stir the rice as often as you can, to abrade the grain's surface, adding hot stock a little at a time (not all at once) so that more liquid evaporates and flavours concentrate.
6. Meanwhile, small cubes of buttercup squash are roasting with some butter (about 30 mins in a moderate oven), in a roasting dish covered by foil. Mix squash and any juices into risotto as rice is nearly finished cooking (I make mushroom risotto in a similar way – adding oven-cooked mushrooms and their juices).
7. Finally, stir in some butter toward the end of cooking. It enhances the risotto’s silky-creamy texture. Salt and pepper to your taste.
8. Have freshly-grated parmesan to hand. Some can be stirred into the risotto just before serving and more can be grated over the dish at the table.
9. A crisp salad and some crusty bread usually goes well.
10. That’s about as much as I know about risotto.