I’m no stranger to pumpkin pie. When I owned and operated a small
pumpkin pie business after college, I experimented widely, trying
countless permutations on the basic theme, and tweaked my way to some
fantastic pie. I thought I knew most everything there is to know about
pumpkin pie. But walking around a night market in Bangkok, Thailand,
recently, I had an experience that turned my concept of pumpkin pie
inside-out.
Street food in Bangkok is a universe unto itself, a sweet and savory
maze of seemingly infinite culinary creativity. The high quality and
consistent freshness of the food seems out of place in a street
setting, but the Thais are extremely clean and detail-oriented, and
their street food is protected from urban grime by layers of stainless
steel and plastic. The treasures that await the street-walking
gastronaut include curries, noodles, soups, fried fish, and skewers, as
well as strange eats like fried bugs, steamed pig blood, and
half-formed eggs from the entrails of slaughtered ducks.
I was taking in the brightly colored jellies, tapioca balls, and
syrups of a dessert vendor when I noticed the inside-out pumpkin pie,
waiting patiently for me in a bowl next to some bags of steamed
bananas. It was a squash that was sliced to reveal its bright-white
custard filling. I bought a slice and was rewarded with a tasty
juxtaposition between the sweet and starchy squash flesh and the creamy
coconut custard. It had the flavors of a pumpkin pie, and similar
ingredients, but completely different texture and presentation.
When I say pumpkin pie, I’m referring to pies made from any type of
winter squash, of which pumpkin is the poster child, pie-wise. The
Thai-style custard-filled squash, called sangkaya, is typically made
with kabocha squash, which is dense and starchy. Most squashes,
including pumpkins, are too watery for sangkaya, but buttercup and
sunshine varieties will work. And while sangkaya is traditionally made
with a sweet custard filling, it can also be made with a savory
filling, like curry pork custard. I’ll explain how to make both.
Wash the outside of the squash and then cut a ring around the stem,
like you’re carving a jack-o-lantern. Remove the top and scoop out the
seeds and inner goop.
For a medium-sized squash (about 2 ½ pounds), heat a cup of
full-fat coconut milk and a half-cup of sugar. Palm sugar is most
authentic, if you can get it, but regular sugar or brown sugar will
work. Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved, and allow the
mixture to cool to room temperature. Separately, beat five eggs, but
don’t overbeat them, which will make the custard foamy.
Combine the eggs and coconut milk and add a pinch of salt and a
teaspoon of vanilla extract. Vanilla here is a common and perfectly
acceptable substitute for pandan leaf, which is traditionally used.
Pandan leaf has a subtle, exotic flavor and a sweet, comforting aroma.
If you can get it fresh, mince, blend, or crush it with a mortar and
pestle and squeeze a tablespoon of its green juice into the mixing bowl
instead of vanilla.
Pour this mixture into your hollowed-out squash, leaving about half
an inch of space below the cut-out rim. Don’t put the top back on.
Steam it 45 minutes to an hour in a basket steamer. You might want to
set the squash in a bowl for extra support as it steams, so it doesn’t
collapse when it gets soft.
After 45 minutes, open the lid and peak inside. Insert a knife deep
into the custard and see if it comes out clean and dry. If there’s
sliminess on the knife, steam another 15 minutes and check again. When
the knife comes out clean, remove the squash by removing the surface
it’s sitting on rather than picking up the squash itself. It may be
fragile.
Let it cool to room temperature, cut into wedges like a pie, and
serve. The juxtaposition of bright orange flesh and white custard is
striking, and if it weren’t for the flavors awaiting you, you might be
tempted to just look at it.
One thing that’s so special about winter squash is how well it lends
itself to both sweet and savory applications. Back in my days as a
pumpkin-pie tycoon, I dabbled in savory pies, adding meat, greens,
garlic, herbs, and other mixings to unsweetened pie filling. Old habits
die hard, because no sooner had I licked my plate after devouring my
first home-made custard-filled squash than I began scheming ways to
make a savory custard to fill my next squash. I decided on pork panang
curry custard.
Cut a pork chop into inch-cubes and pan-fry until they brown. Stir
in some chopped garlic and a teaspoon of fish sauce, stir-fry a minute,
and add a can of coconut milk, a quarter cup of panang curry paste (or
the curry paste of your choice), and half a cup of water. Simmer for
about 20 minutes until the mixture thickens, then remove from heat and
let it cool.
When the curry has cooled to room temperature, beat four eggs and
combine with the curry. Pour the mixture into the squash and steam as
before, for an hour.
The savory pork curry custard comes out light and rich and full of
spicy curry flavor, which mixes nicely with the earthy side of the
squash’s flavor profile.
With either one of these custard squash dishes, you will rule
Thanksgiving.