Cushaw Pie
Ingredients
- Pastry
- 1 1⁄4 C all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
- 1⁄2 C unsalted butter, very cold and diced
- Ice water, as needed (about 4 Tbsp)
- Filling
- 2 C cushaw puree (substitute butternut squash, sweet potato, or pumpkin)
- 2⁄3 C granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- Pinch salt
- 1⁄4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1⁄2 C heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Pastry: Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse briefly. Add butter and pulse until the butter is about the size of peas and is coated in flour. Transfer mixture to a bowl. A tablespoon at a time, drizzle in ice water and stir until mixture barely holds together. Form the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic at least one hour. Roll into a circle to fit a 9-inch dish, transfer to dish, and fold any excess dough under to create a neat edge, crimping or fluting, if desired. Refrigerate.
Filling: combine cushaw puree with all other ingredients. Pour into pie shell and bake at 375 degrees until pastry is nicely browned and the filling is set, about 40 to 45 minutes.
To make the cushaw puree
Cut the squash above the round belly area where the seeds are held. Peel and cut the neck (the meaty top) of the squash into large chunks. Peel and cut the belly in half, scrape the seeds (discard or save for roasting), and cut into large chunks. At this point, the squash pieces can be oven roasted, oven steamed (placed in a large baking dish with a small amount of water, covered in foil), or stovetop steamed, which is the fastest. Cook until squash is easily pierced with a fork and once cool, remove the peel and gently squeeze with your hands to remove excess moisture. Place in a food processor and puree until smooth. To store, freeze puree in 2-cup portions.
