Pumpkin of this variety is very pleasant to prepare: fruits of a bizarre shape with delicate orange flesh easily turn into anything!
Butternut pumpkin is shaped like a guitar or a pear, and its fragrant flesh, when cooked, becomes tender, buttery, with a distinct nutty flavor. This variety was developed in Massachusetts in 1960 by crossing Muscat squash varieties with wild African relatives. Now butternut (or “butternut”) is grown everywhere – in Australia, Asia and Europe – and is becoming increasingly popular. Not surprising!
This pear-shaped fruit, gleaming with its reddish, orange, green or bronze skin, seems a little magical: beta-carotene, which guarantees us beautiful and healthy skin, is twice as much as in carrots. And that’s not all. Butternut is rich in vitamins B, C, D and E, as well as a large amount of minerals. The magnesium contained in it strengthens cells, and potassium prevents hypertension. In addition, this pumpkin is high in calcium and phosphorus, key micronutrients for bone health. And the high content of natural sugars, according to experts, gives it anti-diabetic properties.
Butternut pumpkin, unlike its other relatives, can be eaten with a thin, vitamin-rich peel. It is easy to prepare hundreds of different dishes from it. “Including it can be consumed raw,” notes Alain Passard. Mashed potatoes, soup, spicy seasoning, sauce, pancakes, pies are made from this pumpkin, they are fried, and they also bake muffins, cakes, make jam with it … Butternut really awakens our creative imagination!
Pumpkin pulp with beets and cucumber
For 4 persons
Prepare: 15 minutes
Preparation: 20 minutes
- 1 beets
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 fresh or pickled cucumber
- 4 Art. l. olive oil
- salted butter
- Fleur de sel sea salt or 2 tbsp. l. soy sauce
- freshly ground pepper
Preparation
Peel the beetroot, cut off four 2mm circles and simmer (two to three minutes) in salted butter with a little water added to the pan. Cut the pumpkin into quarters, boil them in a pot of boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain carefully into a colander. From each quarter, peel the whole peel, as with a slice of melon. Cut the pulp into cubes 2 cm thick and spread them on the peel. Cut the beetroot slices into strips and put on the pumpkin. Place three thin circles of cucumber on top (if it is fresh, sprinkle with wine vinegar to give a pleasant sourness). Season with sea salt (or soy sauce) and pepper (one turn of the pepper grinder). Drizzle with olive oil. Serve warm.
Crispy appetizer of pumpkin with two types of cabbage
For 4 persons
Preparation: 15 minutes
- 1/4 small butternut squash
- 1/4 white cabbage
- 1 red cabbage
- juice of 2 lemons or 4 tbsp. l. sherry vinegar
- 8 Art. l. olive oil
- Fleur de sel sea salt or 1 tbsp. l. soy sauce
- freshly ground pepper
Preparation
Remove the seeds from the pumpkin, gently grate the pulp. Finely slice the white cabbage. Cut the red cabbage into 4 parts, separate 16 strong leaves in the shape of a boat. Put chopped pumpkin and white cabbage on them. Place everything on a platter, drizzle with lemon juice (or sherry vinegar), olive oil, season with sea salt (or soy sauce) and pepper (one turn of the pepper grinder).