Paula Deen Cushaw Pie Recipes

OLD-FASHIONED CUSHAW PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add squash, cover, and steam until very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Blend squash in a blender until smooth. Pour 6 cups squash puree into a large mixing bowl. Reserve any extra squash puree for a separate use.
• Stir cream, honey, eggs, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, 1 teaspoon salt, allspice, and nutmeg into 6 cups squash puree; whisk until smooth. Cover and set aside.
• Mix flour and 1 teaspoon salt together in a bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture; add water and mix well. Add more flour to dough if it is too wet. Cut dough in half and roll onto a floured work surface; form into two 10-inch circles. Press dough into 2 pie pans and pour squash filling into each.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

SQUASH CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 °F.
• Using a heated stewing pot, add 6 cups of raw sliced squash and water, and stir and let stew for 5-10 minutes OR sauté the raw sliced squash in 2-3 tablespoons of butter until cooked.
• Then pour the cooked squash into a colander, covered in a clean rag or cheesecloth, and allow the water and juices to drain by mashing with a spoon.
• In separate medium size skillet, sauté the sliced onion in butter for 5 minutes.
• Remove from pan and, using a large bowl, add squash, onions, sour cream, Paula Deen's House Seasoning and sharp cheddar cheese. Pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish and top with cracker crumbs. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Cook's Note: The original recipe called for the squash to be stewed in water; however, Paula now prefers to sauté the squash in butter, as squash naturally contains a lot of water on it's own.

CUSHAW PIE

Steps:

• 1. Prepare squash by cutting off rind and seeding it. Cut into small chunks.
• 2. Cook enough cushaw to equal 2 cups. This can be done by putting a small amount of water in a pan and slowly cooking it so it won't stick. Another way is to put cushaw in a microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave until soft.
• 3. Put cooked cushaw in mixing bowl.
• 4. Add remaining ingredients and mix until blended well.
• 5. Pour into pie shell and bake at 350 degrees until done, about 45 minutes or until center doesn't jiggle.
• 6. Take raw cushaw and freeze. Use another day.

PAULA'S PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar. Add the shortening and break it up with your hands as you start to coat it all up with the flour. Add the cold butter cubes and work it into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter. Work it quickly, so the butter doesn't get too soft, until the mixture is crumbly, like very coarse cornmeal. Add the ice water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together forming a dough. Bring the dough together into a ball.
• When it comes together stop working it otherwise the dough will get over-worked and tough. Divide the dough in half and flatten it slightly to form a disk shape. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. On a floured surface roll each disk out into a 10 to 11-inch circle to make a 9-inch pie.

CRUSTLESS BAKED CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• In blender, combine all ingredients, cover and process until smooth.
• Pour into greased 9" deep dish pie plate.
• Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.
• Cool on wire rack for 1 hour.
• Refrigerate until serving.

CUSHAW PIE

Steps:

• Sift together sugar and spices and add to cooked, pureed squash.
• Beat in eggs one at a time.
• Add cream and mix well.
• Bake in unbaked pie shell 10 minutes at 450, then 40 minutes at 350. (If you use a deep dish pie crust, add an additional 15-20 minutes to the last leg of cooking.).
• Pie is done with the edges are set and brown but the middle still has just a bit of movement, like a custard. A knife or toothpick inserted should come out clean.
• Cool completely on a rack before cutting or refrigerating. Can be eaten immediately, refrigerated for a few days, or frozen for later enjoyment.
• COOKING THE SQUASH:.
• Cushaw is easiest cooked by cutting it length-wise (this will take a little muscle and a serrated knife or small, clean hand saw), removing the inner pulp and seeds, and then baking the hull, skin still on, in a 350 degree oven on a lined baking sheet. It's done when the flesh is soft and the skin slides off easily - about 1 hour.
• It can be cooked more quickly by slicing the gourd lengthwise, then cutting away the rind and cutting the cushaw flesh into chunks. Boil or steam until fork-tender.
• Puree the cooked cushaw flesh, rind/skin removed, in a food processor or blender in small batches until it is smooth and lump-free. You can also use a potato masher for a more rustic feel, but the resulting pie will be more lumpy, rather than a smooth, custard-like texture.
• Be sure to drain the cushaw thoroughly or the pie will end up too watery. I usually put the cooked, pureed pulp in a strainer, place the strainer over a bowl, and then cover and refrigerate overnight.
• One cushaw will render enough pulp to make several pies, depending on the size. The leftovers freeze wonderfully in 1 cup portions and will save you from having to process it all again next time!