Kabocha Gratin

Don’t get taken aback when you hear “bechamel sauce”. It may sound fancy to the ears, but in fact it is a simple sauce to make.  In Japan, we just call it “white sauce”

Kabocha Gratin

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (to grease the baking dishes)
• ½ kabocha squash/pumpkin(medium)
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ onion
• 1 package king oyster mushrooms (eringi) (9.5 oz/270 g)
• 1 package shimeji mushrooms (3.5 oz/100 g)
• 1 ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ Tbsp miso
• 1 cup water
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup Gruyere cheese (roughly 1.5 to 2 oz) (freshly grated, imported)
• ¼ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)(¼ cup = 4 Tbsp)

For Macaroni (if you add)

• 1 ½ cups uncooked elbow macaroni(1 ½ cups = 6 oz, 180 g = 3 cups cooked macaroni)
• 2 Tbsp kosher salt

For White Sauce

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 ⅓ cup whole milk (3 1/3 cup = 800 ml)(warm)
• kosher salt
• ⅛ tsp white pepper (to taste, black pepper is okay)
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg (to taste, optional)

For garnish

• chives or parsley (or parsley) (minced)

Instructions

1. Microwave the kabocha for 2 minutes and remove seeds and pith from the kabocha. 
2. Cut into wedges and remove the skin.
3. Cut into small chunks, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes.
4. Thinly slice the onion and garlic.
5. Discard the bottom of the shimeji mushrooms. Separate shimeji mushrooms into small pieces with hands.
6. Cut the oyster mushrooms into 2-inch pieces and slice thinly.

To Make White Sauce

1. In a large saucepan, melt 4 Tbsp butter over low heat. Once the butter is completely melted, add the flour and mix well until blended. Cook the flour, stirring constantly, without browning, for 1-2 minutes.
2. Gradually add in the warm milk (1/2 cup at a time), stirring constantly, until the sauce is completely smooth without any lumps.
3. Season with a pinch of kosher salt, white pepper (or freshly ground black pepper), and nutmeg.
4. Cook the white sauce, stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened, about 10-15 minutes. It should be thick creamy sauce. Taste the sauce one more time and adjust the seasonings to make sure it’s not bland. Set aside.

To Cook Kabocha

1. In a large frying pan, heat 1 ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until the onion is coated with oil.
2. Add the oyster and shimeji mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Once the mushrooms are tender, add the miso and mix well together.
4. Add the kabocha and 1 cup water for steaming. Close the lid and cook kabocha on medium-low heat until it’s tender, about 10 minutes.

To Cook Pasta (if you add macaroni)

1. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, add 2 Tbsp kosher salt and cook macaroni according to the package instruction, but cook 1 min less than the instruction as it’ll cook further in the frying pan. Drain well and set aside.
2. If you’re using a broiler, preheat broiler for 5 minutes. If you don’t have a broil setting in your oven, preheat the oven to 500 ºF (260 ºC). Adjust the rack so the food is about 4-6 inches from the heat source.

To Assemble

1. Insert the wooden skewer to see if it goes through kabocha. If it does, add the white sauce and mix all together.
2. Taste the sauce and season with salt and black pepper if necessary.
3. Add the cooked macaroni and mix well.
4. Grease the inside of your two 8” x 8” baking dishes rubbing with a stick of butter (I use one of 8” x 8” baking dish and 4 individual gratin dishes). You can also melt the butter and use a brush to grease the dishes.  Transfer the mixture to the buttered baking dish(es).
5. Grate the Gruyere cheese on top and sprinkle some panko.
6. Place the baking dishes in the oven (broiler or 500 ºF/250 ºC) for 3 to 4 minutes until the top is nicely golden brown and bubbling around the edges. If the dishes are not browning evenly, rotate them around. Remove from the oven and let the gratin stand for 5 minutes, then garnish with chives and serve.

Recipe Notes

White Sauce: If you didn't use all the white sauce, it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

https://www.justonecookbook.com/kabocha-gratin/