Indigenous American Chef Crystal Wahpepah has graciously provided a special holiday recipe for us (pictured above). Born and raised in Oakland, California, Crystal is a member of the Kickapoo and Sac and Fox tribes of Oklahoma.
Trained at the Le Cordon Bleu, she was the first indigenous chef on the TV program, Chopped, and a 2022 James Beard Award finalist in the Emerging Chef category. Her restaurant, Wahpepah’s Kitchen in Oakland, aims to reclaim Native American cuisine.
Crystal is also the author of the cookbook, A Feather and a Fork: 125 Intertribal Dishes from an Indigenous Food Warrior, and one of the four Native chefs cooking at Twin Cities EATSS on December 1st at Indígena by Owamni inside the Guthrie in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, a Giving Tuesday benefit for the American Indian College Fund. Enjoy!
Maple Squash Pie with Duck Eggs and Pumpkin Seed Milk
Ingredients:
2 cups roasted butternut or buttercup squash purée
2 duck eggs
3/4 cup unsweetened pumpkin seed milk (replaces the heavy cream)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup, preferably dark robust
2 tablespoons maple sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. Whisk duck eggs until smooth.
3. Add squash purée, maple syrup, pumpkin seed milk, vanilla, maple sugar (if using), spices, and salt.
4. Blend or whisk until creamy.
5. Pour into the pie crust.
6. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.
7. Reduce temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake another 35 to 45 minutes, until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly.
8. Cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing.
Tips:
For the pumpkin seed milk, blend pumpkin seeds with a cup of water. Use unsweetened, preferably unflavored, pumpkin seeds.
Pumpkin seed milk is generally thinner than heavy cream, so the filling may be a little softer. For a firmer pie, add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to the filling before baking.
Roasted butternut squash, maple syrup, duck eggs, and homemade pumpkin seed milk give you a delicious, earthy maple custard pie without dairy cream.
Melanie Votaw is the Publisher and Executive Travel Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. She has visited more than 50 countries on 6 continents and written for such magazines as Executive Travel, Just Luxe, Business Insider, South China Morning Post, Travel Mindset, and more. She is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, New York Travel Writers Association, and International Travel Writers Alliance. Melanie's photography has won awards, and she has also written 46 nonfiction books as either the author or ghostwriter.
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