- 6
Ingredients
- A fine alternative--acorn squash in which to bake the entire amount for four.
- 6 Jack Be Little mini-pumpkins
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 18 fresh bay scallops or 18 small shrimp, peeled and deveined, or 12 small cremini mushrooms, halved
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 1/3 cup heavy cream, scalded
- 1/4 medium onion, peeled and stuck with 8 whole cloves
- 1/2 cup Spanish tetilla or other semisoft cheese, like fontina Val dAosta, diced
- 2 teaspoons minced chives.
Preparation
Step 1
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a sharp knife to cut tops off pumpkins, leaving about an inch of pumpkin around stem. With a spoon, scoop out strings and seeds. Put 1 teaspoon brown sugar in each pumpkin, restore lids and place pumpkins in a baking dish. Add water to come up 1 inch. Place in oven and bake until tender, about 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet. Sauteafood or mushrooms until just cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside, covered.
3. Melt remaining butter in a saucepan. Whisk in flour, then slowly add cream, whisking. Bring to a simmer and cook until sauce has thickened. Add onion and simmer gently 10 minutes. Strain and discard onion. Return sauce to pan, add cheese and cook gently until it melts. Season with salt and pepper.
4. When pumpkins are done, divide seafood or mushrooms among them. Add sauce. Replace lids. Just before serving, return to oven to heat through, 10 to 15 minutes. Lift lids, sprinkle with chives, replace lids and serve.