Recipe - Hubbard Squash Flan

2 One half cup Cooked winter squash puree
1 teaspoon Salt
2 One half cup Milk
1/3 cup Semolina
1/3 cup Cornmeal
2 teaspoon Butter
5 Eggs; beaten
2 tablespoon Molasses
One half teaspoon Nutmeg
One half teaspoon Cinnamon
1 md Onion
1 tablespoon Butter
One half teaspoon Ground ginger
One fourth cup Walnut pieces, small
1 One half ounce Roquefort cheese; crumbled

If blue Hubbard squash is not around your neighborhood, look for Tahitian
squash, Kabocha, buttercup, or any of the very sweet and flavorful winter
squashes. To cook any winter squash into a puree, seed and peel it and cut
the flesh into pieces. Simmer the squash in a heavybottomed pot with about
1 inch of water and a little salt, tightly covered, until it is falling
apart. Lift the lid and give it a stir now and then, adding a little water
if necessary. When the squash is completely tender, remove the lid, raise
th heat, and stir constantly as you cook away all the excess moisture. Then
mash the pulp with a potato masher or puree it in a food processor. The
finished puree should have the consistency of a thick applesauce. Another
method is to roast squash in the oven.

Heat the milk in a mediumsized saucepan and whisk in the semoline,
cornmeal, and 2 teaspoons of butter. Continue stirring with a whisk or a
wooden spoon until the mixture thickens, then remove it from the heat, let
it cool for about 5 minutes, and whisk in the beaten eggs a little at a
time.

Stir in the squash puree, the molasses, One half teaspoon of salt, nutmeg, and
cinnamon. Whisk all this together or process it in a blender for a few
secondsthe mixture should be silky smooth, with no lumps. Taste, and add
more salt if needed.

Peel and quarter the onion and slice it rather thickly. Saute the onion in
a tablespoon of butter with the ginger and a dash of salt until it begins
to color. Lower the heat and keep cooking the onion until it is an even
caramel color.

Stir the walnut pieces and the crumbled cheese gently into the squash
mixture; the cheese should not get too mushy and blend into the custard,
but rather should stay in distinct lumps. Pour the mixture into a large,
shallow buttered baking dish, and scatter the sauteed onions over the top.
Put the flan into a preheated 400 degree oven; after 10 minutes, lower the
heat to 350 degrees and bake for 4045 minutes more.

Serve the flan hot or warm, with some Chipotle Sauce on the side.

Source: "The New Vegetarian Epicure" by Anna Thomas

Posted to MMRecipes Digest V3 #274

Date: Sun, 6 Oct 1996 15:04:49 +0000

From: Linda Place placel@worldnet.att.net