{"id":1587,"date":"2006-11-14T02:08:00","date_gmt":"2006-11-14T02:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elitemporaryblog.wordpress.com\/2006\/11\/14\/the-case-of-a-certain-squash-puree"},"modified":"2015-09-24T03:53:59","modified_gmt":"2015-09-24T03:53:59","slug":"the-case-of-a-certain-squash-puree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orangette.net\/2006\/11\/the-case-of-a-certain-squash-puree\/","title":{"rendered":"The case of a certain squash pur\u00e9e"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sometimes, I must admit, I fall down on the job. Take, for example, the case of a certain squash pur\u00e9e. I first made it three whole years ago<\/em>, and though it has since made many (sold out! standing room only!) appearances at my table, it has somehow never been documented here. I suppose I should offer some sort of fancy excuse, but really, all I can say is this: it just won<\/strong>\u2019<\/span>t sit still for the camera.<\/strong><\/strong> It\u2019s silky, slinky, beguiling stuff, and it always vanishes before I can snap a photo. But when I made a batch this weekend, I \u2013 having learned from my mistakes, not to mention being rather persistent \u2013 plunked it right down for a photo session, tout de suite<\/span>, before it could sneak away. And so, with no further ado, I am delighted to introduce at long last \u2013 in a rare moment sans eager forks and spoons \u2013 this seductive bowl of butternut squash, maple syrup, and sweet butter<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Now, it may not sound like anything out of the ordinary, because on paper – or a computer screen – it really is pretty simple. Heck, it has only five ingredients<\/span>, including water and salt. Its warming flavor is exactly what you expect from butternut squash, <\/span>but miraculously, even better<\/span>. A nudge of maple syrup makes the squash\u2019s earthy sweetness step up and shine, while butter smooths its starchy edges into submission. I like to think of it as the savory equivalent of a chocolate pudding, all soft corners and easy swallows. It\u2019s smooth and soothing, the sort of thing that makes you want to lift the plate to your chin<\/span> and – for lack of a more ladylike expression – shovel<\/span> it in<\/span>. All of which makes it a natural for the Thanksgiving table, where comfort reigns, as well as for any number of wintry occasions<\/a>; and hence my hurry to tell you about it – three years late.<\/p>\n

I have made this pur\u00e9e each Thanksgiving since 2003, when I stumbled upon the recipe and made it for my mother, myself, and my boyfriend-at-the-time in my cramped apartment kitchen. Being mainly a vegetarian in those days, I served it alongside a spinach souffl\u00e9, with braised red cabbage <\/a>and my favorite biscuits<\/a>. [My mother, a true sport, gamely agreed to a fowl-less holiday.] It was our first Thanksgiving without my father<\/a>, and we left an empty place setting where he would have sat. In retrospect, I think he would have preferred that we pile his plate high with turkey and stuffing, but since that was not an option, maybe I should have made him an offering of butternut squash pur\u00e9e. He always had a weakness for anything with its sort of texture – mashed potatoes, Cream of Wheat, scrambled eggs, soft polenta. Knowing him, he would have stirred a big splash of cream into the squash, turning it from glowing orange to a muted, frothy gold. Maybe I\u2019ll try that one day, if I can manage to keep from eating it all first.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Butternut Pur\u00e9e with Maple Syrup<\/strong>
Adapted from Gourmet<\/em>, November 1993 and 2003<\/p>\n

This is one of those simple, simple recipes that sneak into your repertoire so seamlessly that you hardly even notice. If you\u2019re anything like me, you\u2019ll wake up one morning to find that you\u2019ve already made it a half-dozen times. Aside from being delicious from the first spoonful, the best thing about this pur\u00e9e is that it actually improves with age. Try to make it at least a few hours ahead \u2013 if not a day or two. A little rest in the fridge allows the flavors to gel, and the texture, too, settles into a silkier state. If you don\u2019t have a food processor, you could probably do just fine with a potato masher, although the texture won\u2019t be quite as smooth. No one will mind, though; trust me. And a word about the maple syrup: its flavor is not pronounced here – it brings only a subtle sweetness, no more – so if you like a strong maple flavor, you might add more than I call for. Note also that this recipe is easy to halve, but I hardly find it necessary. It will get eaten, no matter how much you make.<\/p>\n

5 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into rough 1-inch pieces
2 cups water
1 \u00be tsp salt, or to taste
1\/3 cup maple syrup, or to taste
3 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into dice<\/p>\n

Place the squash and the water in a large (5- or 6-quart) pot. [The water will not cover the squash.] Sprinkle 1 tsp of the salt over the squash. Place the pot over medium-high heat, cover it, and bring it to a simmer. Adjust the heat as necessary, and simmer until the squash is very tender, about 15 minutes.<\/p>\n

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the squash to a food processor and process it until smooth, adding cooking liquid as needed. I don\u2019t add much liquid \u2013 only a little splash or two if the food processor seems to gum up. You will probably need to process the squash in batches, transferring the pur\u00e9e into a large bowl as you go. Stir in the maple syrup, butter, and salt \u2013 the squash should still be hot enough to melt the butter \u2013 and taste to adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve warm.<\/p>\n

Note<\/em>: This pur\u00e9e can \u2013 and, I say, should<\/span> \u2013 be made little bit ahead and chilled in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave or a 350-degree oven, adding a bit of water if needed.<\/p>\n

Yield: 8-10 servings<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sometimes, I must admit, I fall down on the job. Take, for example, the case of a certain squash pur\u00e9e. I first made it three whole years ago, and though it has since made many (sold out! standing room only!) appearances at my table, it has somehow never been documented here. I suppose I should offer some sort of fancy excuse, but really, all I can say is this: it just won\u2019t sit still for the camera. It\u2019s silky, slinky, beguiling stuff, and it always vanishes before I can snap a photo. But when I made a batch this weekend, I \u2013 having learned from my mistakes, not to mention being rather persistent \u2013 plunked it right down for a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe case of a certain squash pur\u00e9e | Orangette<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/orangette.net\/2006\/11\/the-case-of-a-certain-squash-puree\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The case of a certain squash pur\u00e9e | Orangette\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sometimes, I must admit, I fall down on the job. Take, for example, the case of a certain squash pur\u00e9e. I first made it three whole years ago, and though it has since made many (sold out! standing room only!) appearances at my table, it has somehow never been documented here. I suppose I should offer some sort of fancy excuse, but really, all I can say is this: it just won\u2019t sit still for the camera. It\u2019s silky, slinky, beguiling stuff, and it always vanishes before I can snap a photo. 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