Purée de potiron au parmesan

Pumpkin purée with parmesan

For success with this recipe, do not use pre-grated parmesan. Grate the cheese yourself no more than an hour before you intend to use it in order to retain maximum flavor.

The same holds true for the nutmeg, which should be grated directly over the purée. If you don’t have a nutmeg grater, you might want to consider buying one. They last a lifetime and the difference between fresh nutmeg and the ground variety is startling. Once you’ve tried the freshly grated kind, you’ll never look back.

2 pounds (1 kilo) pumpkin
water for steaming
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. crème fraîche or heavy cream
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (about 3 oz.), loosely packed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg

Remove the seeds and stringy fibers from the pumpkin and discard. Remove the peel and discard. Cut the remaining pumpkin into large chunks.

Bring the water to a boil in the bottom of your steamer. Place the pumpkin in the steamer basket and cook until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Blend the pumpkin thoroughly using an immersion blender or countertop blender. Add the sea salt, olive oil and cream, and blend again. Taste to check that the pumpkin is thoroughly puréed. Transfer to a clean pot.

Stir in the parmesan. Grind in some pepper and grate some nutmeg over the purée. Taste and correct the seasonings as necessary. Reheat gently, stirring, until the parmesan has melted completely. Serves 4-6.

This purée goes nicely alongside fish, meat or poultry. If you’d like to serve it on its own as a lunch dish or for a simple supper, place the finished purée in a baking dish, top with more grated parmesan and bake in a very hot oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese has started to brown. For a bright touch, sprinkle some fresh herbs on top.

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5 Responses to Purée de potiron au parmesan

  1. Jennifer Akins says:

    Thanks Meg! I really enjoyed the class and I think this fabulous Pumpkin Purée with Parmesan will be appearing on my table often in the weeks to come. Tasty and easy!

  2. martha zuber says:

    What would you do with parsnips?

    • Meg says:

      That’s a very good question at this time of year. I probably wouldn’t purée them — I prefer them oven-roasted. In fact I’ve been meaning to add a recipe for oven-roasted root vegetables to the site. It’s easy. Peel the parsnips and slice them into thick julienne strips. Place them in an oiled baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in a hot oven for about 45 minutes or until they start to brown. You will know when they’re done by the aroma — it’s heavenly.

  3. Nancy Shields says:

    I bet you this would be very nice with potimarron, which doesn’t need peeling and doesn’t have as much of the stringy bits inside. Wikipedia tells me it’s called red kuri squash in English. Shall try this very soon.

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