Cushaw Pie

Cushaw is an ancient variety of winter squash that was vitally important in the Native American diet. Cushaws have firm, sweet-smelling flesh that works beautifully in recipes that would usually be made with canned pumpkin, such as pie. Some cushaws are quite large, yielding enough roasted purée to make pies all winter

2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 large eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups roasted cushaw puree

1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie shell

L ightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving

• Preheat the oven to 450 F. Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven.
• Whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg in a small bowl.
• Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until the whites and yolks are blended. Whisk in the cream and cushaw purée. Whisk in the brown sugar mixture until the filling is smooth but not frothy. Pour the filling into the pie shell. The filling should come just to the rim of the crust, so discard any excess.
• Place the pie on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 F and bake until the sides of the filling begin to puff and the center is nearly set but still jiggles oh-so-slightly when shaken gently, about 20 minutes more. Avoid testing the doneness with a knife, which can cause the filling to crack as it cooks. Take the pie off the baking sheet and place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
• The filling will continue to firm as it cools. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to a day.
• Serve chilled or at room temperature, topped with a dollop of whipped cream.