Kabocha Pie

1. Gather all the ingredients.

To Blind Bake the Pie Crust (optional; please read the blog post first)

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). For a convection oven, reduce the cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Take out 1 pie crust from the freezer and thaw for 10 minutes.
2. When the pie crust has softened a little bit, prick both the bottom and sides of the pie crust with a fork, making sure not to poke through. This allows steam to escape and prevents bubbles from forming from the bottom of the crust. Alternatively, you can use pie weights. Bake the pie crust for 15–20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, let it cool to room temperature.

To Prepare the Kabocha

1. Put 1 cup of water into a pan (I use a wok) and place a steamer basket on top.
2. With a very firm chef’s knife, cut 2½ lb kabocha squash in half and scoop out seeds. Cut the kabocha into 1½-inch (4-cm) cubes.
3. Place the kabocha cubes in the steamer basket and cover with a lid. Turn the heat to high and steam for 15 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes, check if the kabocha is ready by inserting a skewer into a thick kabocha cube. If it goes through smoothly, then they’re done. Otherwise, keep steaming and check back in 1 minute. Remove the steamer basket from the pan. When the kabocha is cool enough for you to touch, remove the skin with a knife.
5. Transfer the kabocha to a food processor or blender. Purée the kabocha until smooth. Since the kabocha was steamed and contains a good amount of moisture, you don’t need to add any liquid. However, if the kabocha has been sitting out too long and seems dehydrated, add 1 Tbsp water at a time to help it purée. My kabocha yields about 3 cups (675 g). For this recipe, you will need 2 cups (450 g) of puréed kabocha.
6. If you don’t have a food processor or blender, transfer the kabocha to a large bowl and pass it through a fine-mesh strainer like this for a finer texture. You can also use a potato masher, but it won’t be as refined.

To Prepare the Pie Filling

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). For a convection oven, reduce the cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). If you didn‘t blind bake your pie crust, take out the pie crust from the freezer and thaw for 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine 2 Tbsp unsalted butter and 2 Tbsp sugar. Whisk until it’s a creamy consistency.
3. Add 1 large egg yolk and 2 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell), one at a time and whisk well to combine before adding the next one.
4. Add 2 cups (450 g) puréed kabocha and mix well to combine.
5. Add ⅓ cup brown sugar, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt into the bowl and mix all together.
6. Add 1 Tbsp rum and 200 ml heavy (whipping) cream (¾ cup + 2 Tbsp) and whisk well.

To Bake

1. Pour the filling into the pie crust. Tap the crust on the counter a few times to make sure there are no air gaps in the filling.
2. Bake at 400ºF (200ºC) for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF (180ºC) and bake for 50 minutes, or until the skewer inserted near the center comes out clean. If you pre-baked the pie crust, you might need to shield the edges with foil to avoid the crust becoming too brown and overdone.
3. Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours before serving.

To Serve

1. Serve the pie with a big dollop of fresh whipped cream (recipe follows).

To Make the Whipped Cream

1. Place a metal mixing bowl and metal whisk into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes (if you don’t use an electric mixer, this step helps you to make whipped cream faster). Add 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream and 2 Tbsp sugar into the mixing bowl. Whisk just until the cream reaches stiff peaks.
2. Store any unused portion in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. When ready to use, re-whisk for 10 to 15 seconds.

To Store

1. You can keep the leftover pie in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.