Swiss Pumpkin for Ruth and for Me

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Ruth Reichl is a very dear friend of mine, although she is not aware of it. Her autobiographical books Tender at the Bone, Comfort Me with Apples, and Garlic and Sapphires have kept me on the edge of my seat in the way Harry Potter  has done with children.The books inspire, comfort, stimulate, and engross. All along the way she is cooking: She is cooking Schnitzel for her father; Matzo Brei for her hung-over school friends; chocolate cake for the love of her life; and stuffed pumpkin in memory of a relationship that has ended.

And I can see how she would—it’s a little bit of an indulgence and a lot soothing; but indulgent, soothing foods need not be limited to the times when we are down. A beautiful pumpkin brimming with good things, brought to a table of guests, could be the centerpiece of a great celebration.

Think of this as a savory bread pudding baked inside a pumpkin rather than a baking dish, and think of this as part of a Thanksgiving menu. The description of this is longer than the actual procedure, but there are a lot of variables with regard to the pumpkin and that needs to be considered. As long as you read through and make the necessary adjustments, and let go of any control issues, you’ll be fine. It took a great cook to come up with this idea, but even the most basci of cooks can bring this to the table, fit to eat.

Ruth’s recipe called for a pumpkin of about four pounds and required two hours of cooking time; my pumpkin weighed five pounds and was done in an hour and a half. I turned the oven down to 200 degrees and held it for 45 minutes and it was still moist and luscious. I think the time comes down to the thickness of the pumpkin as much as the weight.

My pumpkin weighed five pounds, but once I cleaned it out, the flesh was barely more than an inch thick. When you scrape your pumpkin, take note of how thick the outer wall is and consider that when timing it. And I think the time it spent in the warm oven was actually a good thing, the pumpkin was still hot, but not scorching hot, so when I served it, it held together nicely rather than falling into itself as it might have done if I’d served it right away.

You can cut it into wedges to serve, but I scooped it, starting at the edge. I removed the lid, pulled down on the skin, removing it about halfway down exposing the flesh and making scooping it quite easy. Once you have served the upper portion, peel off more skin and serve the bottom half.

I think I’m likely to stick with Gruyere, Parmigiano or a dry Jack cheese, but a sharp cheddar or goat cheese would be good as well. Perhaps even a sweet blue-veined cheese would be a good choice. And of course, you add other things to flavor it, such as herbs (sage would be excellent) or thin slivers of ham.

Swiss Pumpkin for Ruth and for Me

1 pumpkin, between 4 and 5 pounds
Kosher salt
1 baguette or other crusty bread, cut in ¼-inch thick slices, and lightly toasted
4 ounces or so sharp cheese, such as Gruyere, Parmigiano, or a dry Jack, grated
1 3/4 cups half and half
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Big pinch of nutmeg

Up to several hours ahead of time, clean your pumpkin. Cut off the top of the pumpkin as if you were making a Jack O’ Lantern, cutting about a 1 1/2-inches in from the edge, and being sure to cut at a slight angle so the top doesn’t drop down into the pumpkin. Use a small, sharp knife and cut slowly. Alternately, you can simply cut off the whole top of the pumpkin in a 1-inch slice, which is easier but makes for a less dramatic presentation.

Remove the top and set aside. Using a spoon, remove the strings and seeds from the pumpkin and discard. If there are stubborn strings that do not want to come off, scrape them off using a fork or a paring knife. Set aside until ready to cook.

Two and a half hours before serving, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly salt the inside of the pumpkin.  Cover the bottom of the pumpkin with a layer of bread and sprinkle with a third of the cheese; repeat these layers twice. Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour slowly into the pumpkin.

Put its top back on and place it in a small baking dish (I used a pie plate). Put it the oven, lower the temperature to 375 and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the side of pumpkin slides in easily.

Lower heat to 200 degrees and let rest for 15 minutes or longer. Transfer it to a platter if you like, and serve, with a great deal of pride in your creation.

Serves 4 to 6 as a main course or 8 to 10 as a starter or side dish.

Cook’s note: As of this writing, I am thinking of attempting a dessert version of this recipe, omitting the cheese, adding sugar to the cream mixture, and possibly working in some butter somewhere. I will let you know how it goes once I get a chance to try it out.

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Tags: bread pudding, comfort me with apples, ruth reichl, swiss pumpkin