Squash and Custard

We got an acorn squash in our CSA this week. I don't have much experience with this veggie, so I did a little searching and found a great recipe on Saveur. Apparently this is a traditional recipe from Thailand called sangkaya. It normally is in a kabocha squash, but I adapted it to an acorn squash. This is an absolutely amazing dessert. It sounds a little fishy: coconut custard cooked in a squash. But it is incredibly delicious. Really really delicious. The coconut custard is just sweet enough to complement the squash perfectly.

It's actually pretty simple to make too. Looking at the recipe, it looks a bit daunting, especially since it is from the all-amazing Saveur. But in retrospect, it was pretty simple. I started making it before cooking dinner and it was done right as we finished eating dinner.

Part of the recipe calls for the use of a double boiler. This is a technique used to cook delicate sauces in which you need to control the temperature. Here is a great description with the physics behind it from our good friends at Wikipedia. I used a pot with a little boiling water at the bottom and place a metal bowl with handles in it. The handles sat on the lip of the pot, so the bowl wasn't touching the water but still getting hot. 

There was one part of the recipe that was a bit confusing. It was about how to set up the rack in the oven. I didn't really get it. It said put the squash in an 8x8 baking dish and pour 1 cup of boiling water into the dish. I don't really know what the hot water is supposed to do. Since my acorn squash didn't have a flat bottom and wouldn't stand up by itself, I placed it in a ramekin and then placed that into a dish. I poured hot water into both the dish and the ramekin. Again, I have no idea what the water is for, but my custard turned out great, so maybe it was important in the end. Here is my crazy oven setup:

I used palm sugar for this which is a sugar derived from coconut, but you could use brown sugar if you don't have palm sugar on hand. Also, you need to get coconut cream (not coconut milk). I found copious amounts at 17th Street Market, about 5 different brands. This is super super delicious (got a 10 from JC), so try this if you have a winter squash (acorn, kabocha, pumpkin) on hand.

Coconut Squash Custard
from Saveur

• 1  1 1⁄2–2-lb. kabocha squash
• 1⁄2 cup canned coconut cream
• 1⁄2 cup semimoist Thai palm sugar
• 1⁄2 tsp. fine salt
• 6 egg yolks
  

1. Using a long, sharp knife, cut off the top of the squash, about 1" from the stem end. Discard top. Using a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds and the fibers to make a hollow cavity. Set aside.

2. In a 1-qt. saucepan, whisk together the coconut cream and 1⁄4 cup of the palm sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, while whisking occasionally; remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes to cool slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining palm sugar with the salt and egg yolks until yolks are smooth and pale yellow. While whisking the yolks, slowly drizzle in the hot coconut cream mixture. Transfer mixture to top of a double boiler set over simmering water and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon, about 4 minutes.

3. Heat oven to 325°. Pour custard into the reserved squash and set on rack in the bottom of an 8" x 8" baking dish. Pour 1 cup boiling water into dish. Bake until a knife inserted into center of custard comes out clean, about 2 hours. Let cool; slice into 6 wedges. Serve at room temperature or chilled.