Red Kuri Squash Strudel

Today, we are going to challenge the very essence of pumpkin preparation. We are not merely using the squash; we are honoring it, from its sturdy stem to its very last seed. Our goal is an entirely waste-free, deeply creative Autumn dish I call Red Kuri Squash Strudel. This isn't just about roasting a vegetable and wrapping it in pastry. This is a full celebration of the gourd's potential. We begin with a beautiful red kuri squash. Its pear shape, the yellow color of its flesh and its chestnut flavor have earned it the name of Potimarron in French. Instead of discarding the "guts," we see them as the foundation of our dish. Those slippery seeds and fibrous threads are not scrap; they are treasure. This will become the astonishing base for our sauce. Meanwhile, the sweet, dense flesh and skin of the squash will be roasted until it is deeply caramelized and tender. We'll then puree it with fresh goat cheese, cooked again to concentrate flavors and fold it with chestnuts into a velvety filling, which we will encase in whisper-thin layers of filo dough. As it sears, the strudel will transform into a shatteringly crisp, golden parcel, a textural dream that gives way to the warm, spiced heart within. It will be served resting in a moat of that luscious red kuri squash sauce, alongside a tangle of slowly braised leeks, their sweetness having been coaxed out over low heat until they are meltingly soft. So, let's begin. Take your squash, feel its weight, and let's create something truly unique together.

Red Kuri Squash Strudel

Course: Entrees

Cuisine: French

Keyword: pumpkin

Difficulty: intermediate

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 1 40

Servings: strudel

Calories: 135kcal

Cost: $22

This is a full celebration of the gourd's potential…

Equipment

1 High powered blender
1 Food processor
1 Baking tray
1 Saucepan
1 Sautoir
1 Frying pan
1 Fish spatula
1 Rubber spatula
2 bowls
1 Shallow dish
1 chinois
1 Ladle
1 Slotted spoon
1 Colander or salad spinner
1 Pastry brush
1 Digital scale
1 Piping bag

Ingredients

Roasted Potimarron

2.5 kg Red kuri squashes called potimarron in french
10 g Grey salt

Potimarron Milk

600 g Pumpkin guts
1 L Whole milk or coconut milk
3 g Star anise
1 each Orange zest

Potimarron Sauce

700 g Strained potimarron milk hot
200 g Roasted potimarron flesh hot
50 g Heavy cream chilled

Potimarron Filling

1150 g Roasted potimarron flesh
150 g Fresh goat cheese*
20 g Maple syrup

Chestnuts

300 g Frozen peeled chestnuts
400 g Chicken stock Recipe

To Assemble the Strudel

9 each Filo dough sheets 3 sheets per roll
50 g Melted clarified butter or duck fat
1300 g Potimarron filling
200 g Cooked chestnuts

Braised Leeks

300 g Leeks light green parts
30 g Duck fat or butter
25 g Parmesan grated

Garnishing

100 g Cooked chestnuts
30 g Hazelnuts or roasted pumpkin seeds toasted and crushed

Instructions

Red Kuri Squash vs Potimarron

Red kuri squash is a thin skinned orange colored winter squash, a cultivated variety of the species Cucurbita maxima. It looks like a small pumpkin without the ridges. It belongs to the Hubbard squash group. Inside the outer edible skin there is a firm flesh that provides a very delicate and mellow chestnut-like flavor. Other kinds can be used instead like honeynut and Kabocha squashes.

Cheeses Options

* I chose to blend my roasted pumpkin filling with fresh goat cheese, but many other mild cheeses may be used such as cream cheese, mascarpone, and ricotta.

Preparing Red Kuri Squash

Rinse and scrub pumpkin thoroughly. Cut off stem and bottom to stabilize the squash (easier with a serrated knife).
Cut squashes in half.
Reach inside with your scoop or spoon and start pulling out the seeds and stringy pulp (this is called the "guts" or "brains"). Dump all the guts directly into your sautoir or saucepan. Do likewise with the remaining squashes.

Potimarron Milk

Cover the pumpkin guts with milk, add star anises, orange zest and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, and cook 25 minutes on medium-low. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and leave it to stand for 20 minutes or longer.
Mix potimarron milk in the high powered blender.
Pass that goodness through a chinois. Discard solids. Clean the blender for the sauce.

Potimarron Sauce

Blend all together: potimarron milk, flesh, and heavy cream. Readjust seasoning with salt and pepper. The texture of the sauce shall be thick. Save leftovers sauce to make a pumpkin soup. Simply blend the sauce with the saved and hot chicken stock.

Roasted Potimarron

Preheat fan oven to 345ºF/175ºC. Season the pumpkin flesh with grey salt, and arrange them skin side up onto a lightly greased baking tray.

Potimarron Filling

Cut the roasted potimarron into chunks. In the food processor, pulse the flesh and skin along with the cheese. Season with salt pepper to taste, and add maple syrup to taste. Spread pumpkin mixture straight onto a clean baking tray.
Roast potimarron filling 35 minutes at 330ºF/160ºC. This extra cooking step allows the filling to firm up and intensifies flavors. To cool off faster, crisscross with a spatula and spread over the cooked chestnuts; set aside.

Chestnuts

Cook the peeled chestnuts in chicken stock for 30 minutes until fork tender. Drain and save chicken stock to make a pumpkin soup.

To Assemble the Potimarron Strudel (3 logs)

On a clean work surface, place your first sheet of filo dough. Using a pastry brush, generously coat the entire surface with melted butter. Carefully lay a second sheet of filo directly on top. Brush this second sheet thoroughly with butter. Top with the third and final sheet, and once again, brush the entire surface with butter.
Pipe a thick rope of potimarron filling (about 500g) per log.
Roll into a tight and squared log.
Brush the whole log with butter. Repeat twice.
With a serrated knife, cut each log into four 125g mini bûche servings.

Storage

Potimarron strudels can be store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For longer shelf life: Freeze strudels first and vacuum-seal. A day prior to serve, remove strudels from the bag and let them thaw onto a baking sheet overnight in the refrigerator.

Cleaning and Cutting Leeks

Leave the stringy root intact to hold the layers together. Slice off the dark green leaves, leaving only the pale green and white parts. (Save the dark green tops for stock). Cut the leeks in half lengthwise twice from the root.
Slice crosswise into thin half-moons.
Place the sliced leeks in a large bowl of lukewarm water. Swirl them around with your hands to loosen any grit. Let them sit for 10 minutes. The sand and dirt will sink to the bottom. Gently lift the leeks out of the water with your hands or a slotted spoon, leaving the grit behind. Repeat this process until no more grit remains. Drain well.

Braised Leeks

In a skillet or sautoir melt the duck fat over low heat. Add the drained leeks and toss to coat in the fat. Cover the pan and let the leeks cook gently for about 10 minutes. They will steam in their own moisture, which helps them become tender without browning. Remove the lid, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Increase the heat slightly and continue to cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in parmesan.

Plating

Preheat fan oven to 330ºF/160ºC. In a frying pan, sear strudels (one per serving) in some clarified butter or duck fat 2 minutes on each side, and finish them in the oven for 10 minutes. Cut strudel into 3 towers for one serving.
Put the sauce on the plate first.
Add some braised leeks, and top with hot strudel towers. Garnish with a couple of reheated chestnuts.
Sprinkle some crushed hazelnut over the dish. Bon appétit!