I grew up within the sweltering warmth of Thailand, the place temperatures not often drop under the “mild sweater” mark. Consequently, I developed one thing of an obsession with the chilly; the thought of 4 seasons was thrilling to me. I pored over my well-worn copies of Jill Barklem’s Brambly Hedge books and was captivated by the comfortable actions the mice acquired as much as of their tree stump village: organizing winter balls, steaming up Christmas puddings, and placing their little toes up in entrance of roaring fires. 

Whereas I’ve but to find the utopian commune of my desires right here in New York’s Hudson Valley, the place I now reside, I’ve wholeheartedly embraced chilly northeastern climate, in addition to the hardy produce that comes with it. One of many cornerstone items of produce from the colder months is winter squash, although its season extends nicely past the precise winter season—butternut squash and different hard-skinned pumpkins start to look at native markets within the late summer time and might nonetheless be discovered piled up at farmers markets many months later, within the early spring. It is the proper automobile for this baked squash curry, which is a welcome meal a minimum of three out of the yr’s 4 seasons. Impressed by conventional Thai hor mok, a kind of steamed curry, it options candy, nutty squash with a kick of warmth from purple curry paste.

Hor mok (ห่อหมก) is extra of an strategy than a selected dish: The time period describes a standard cooking methodology the place a combination of fish, recent herbs like Thai basil and makrut lime leaves, and spices are wrapped up (hor; ห่อ) in a banana leaf, then buried (mok; หมก) within the ashes of a cooking hearth to bake slowly. (Hor mok has shut cousins within the cuisines of neighboring nations, like Cambodia’s amok, a steamed fish curry.)

Whereas regional variations abound, the most typical model of hor mok in Thailand at this time is made by combining minced fish, purple or yellow curry paste, eggs, and coconut milk. (Shredded greens like cabbage are generally included for texture.) The combination is wrapped in banana leaves or foil, then steamed on the stovetop or baked in an oven. The dish is basically a savory, spicy custard. Whereas hor mok can differ in dimension, they’re typically made in single-serving packages to allow them to be eaten with rice as a solo meal or as a part of a dinner unfold for a bigger group. 

A couple of years in the past, I used to be searching by a number of hor mok recipes in preparation for a non-public dinner I used to be cooking. I got here throughout one in Momluang Terb Xoomsai’s Ratanakosin Dishes 1982, an out-of-print cookbook that showcases numerous refined, trendy recipes from one among Thailand’s foremost culinary specialists. In contrast to many hor mok recipes, which have you ever incorporate complete crushed eggs, Xoomsai’s spin concerned beating egg whites on their very own till mild and fluffy, then folding them into the remainder of the substances, producing a lighter model of traditional hor mok. Its texture jogged my memory of a butternut squash soufflé I made at a restaurant a few years in the past as a prep prepare dinner—and so, I made a decision to create a vegetarian riff on conventional hor mok utilizing Xoomsai’s method. 

The result’s a luxuriously creamy custard that’s boldly flavored with butternut squash and purple curry, with a light-weight, ethereal texture much like a French soufflé.

The Key Strategies That Make This Recipe Nice

Beat the eggs nicely—however don’t overwhip them. It might be tempting to whip your egg whites on excessive pace, however I like to recommend whisking them on medium, which can take a bit longer however end in a stronger, extra steady foam and reduce the danger of your egg whites overwhipping. Overwhipped egg whites don’t maintain their air nicely, and can possible end in a soufflé that deflates rapidly. To make sure all of your onerous work doesn’t go to waste, gently fold the whipped egg whites into your custard base. The longer and extra aggressively you stir, the extra air bubbles you’ll lose, leading to a dense custard that received’t rise.

Use a candy winter squash. I go for candy, earthy butternut squash in my recipe under, because it’s extensively accessible in lots of US grocery shops. If you will get your fingers on honeynut squash, although, they’ve a extra concentrated taste than butternut squash and make a wonderful different (simply word that honeynut squash are a lot smaller than butternet, so you will want extra of them to get the identical weight). 

Roast the squash first. To include the squash into the soufflé combination, it’s important to prepare dinner and purée it first. There are lots of methods to arrange squash, together with boiling, steaming, and microwaving. Roasting the gourd at a excessive temperature, nonetheless, concentrates the squash’s taste by driving off moisture and permits the Maillard response—a sequence of chemical reactions that happen when proteins and sugars are reworked by warmth—to happen, leading to squash with a a lot sweeter, extra complicated taste.

Retailer-bought curry paste is okay. You can also make your personal curry paste, however for this, store-bought purple curry paste is completely nice, for the reason that flavors within the paste play a supporting position to the candy, nutty, earthy squash. For essentially the most fragrant base, I begin by sautéing the curry paste, which blooms the spices, releasing fat-soluble taste compounds that infuse extra absolutely into the dish. (Needless to say most conventional Thai curry pastes comprise shrimp paste, so remember to examine the substances in case you are trying to preserve the dish vegetarian.) 

Prime it off with coconut cream, makrut lime leaves, and slivered purple peppers. The dish is nice as is, however is very scrumptious when dressed up with thickened coconut cream, a chiffonade of zesty makrut lime leaves, and spicy purple chiles, which is what number of Thai eateries serve conventional hor mok. The coconut cream balances the spice of the curry, the makrut lime leaves add a refreshing pop of perfume and brightness, and the purple chiles give it a spicy kick. Search for a sizzling purple chile like hen’s eye, Fresno, or jalapeño—however when you’d prefer to preserve it gentle, matchsticks of purple bell peppers or lunchbox peppers work too.

I really like this dish served with plain rice, nevertheless it’s additionally good as a part of an even bigger unfold; as an illustration, served with different Thai dishes like a zesty salad or a meaty stir-fry. I’ve additionally discovered it to be a fantastic non-traditional aspect for a roast rooster as nicely.

Cook dinner Mode
(Preserve display awake)