Pumpkin gratin

Children like pumpkin because of its natural sweetness. Served as a gratin, it makes a good vegetable dish that is high in fibre and provitamin A, with added calcium from the grated cheese.

Ingredients (serves 4):

  • 1 kg pumpkin or squash
  • 2 shallots
  • 1 bay leaf
  • nutmeg
  • 80 g grated cheese
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • salt, pepper

Instructions:

  • Peel and finely chop the shallots; sweat them in a little oil in a large pan.
  • Peel and cut the pumpkin into 1 to 2 cm dice (the smaller the pieces, the faster they will cook).
  • Add the diced pumpkin to the pan along with the bay leaf, cut in two.
  • Add the grated nutmeg halfway through the cooking time.
  • Leave to cook for 15 to 20 minutes (the pumpkin should be soft enough to mash easily).
  • The mash can either be eaten as it is at this stage or turned into a gratin.
  • Remove the bay leaf. Mash the diced pumpkin enough so that it still has a bit of texture.
  • Spoon it into a gratin dish, top with grated cheese and place under the grill for a few minutes.
  • As soon as the cheese starts to brown, it’s ready!

Cooked in a pan over a high heat, the water in the pumpkin evaporates and the flavour becomes more concentrated. Cooking in water, however, means a lot of the flavour is lost and it tastes bland.