Scalloped Pumpkin

A plain savory pumpkin pudding, closer to a crumb-bound vegetable casserole than anything sweet. It comes together in one bowl and needs only a shallow dish.

• Oven temperatureThe recipe calls a 400F oven "moderate," which by current usage is moderately hot. At 400F for 40 minutes the top crumbs will brown well before the center sets; 350F for the same time gives a more even custard, or hold 400F and check at 25 to 30 minutes.
• The pumpkinCooked pumpkin here means steamed or baked flesh, mashed and well drained, not pie filling. Canned solid-pack pumpkin works directly; if using fresh, press out the water in a sieve or the pudding will weep.
• ShorteningTwo tablespoons of melted shortening can be butter, and butter is the better choice in a savory dish for flavor. Melt it and let it cool slightly so it does not begin cooking the eggs.
• Bread crumbs"Fine" here probably means dry crumbs rather than fresh soft ones, though the recipe does not specify. Fresh crumbs are lighter and bulkier for the same weight, so if that is all you have, judge the mixture by consistency rather than measuring cup for cup.
• Dish sizeNo pan size is given. A small shallow dish, of roughly 1-quart capacity, will hold this quantity in a thin layer; a deeper dish will need longer and may stay wet in the middle.
• DonenessThe eggs are the only binder, so judge by the center: it should be set and barely trembling, not liquid. A knife inserted off-center should come out clean.
• SeasoningA quarter teaspoon of salt for a full cup of pumpkin plus crumbs is restrained by present standards. Taste the mixture before the eggs go in and adjust; the ginger and pepper can both be doubled without turning it sweet.
• YieldProbably about four small side-dish servings; the recipe gives no yield. It reheats acceptably, covered, but the crumb topping softens.