Steamed Winter Squash

A plain steamed squash purée from Fannie Farmer's kitchen, written for a cook who already owned a colander that would sit inside a kettle. The only real skill is keeping water out of the flesh.

• The strainer is a steamerFannie Farmer means a metal colander or sieve set over a pot of boiling water with a lid on top. A modern collapsible steamer basket or an insert pot does the same job; the point is that the squash never touches the water.
• Why steaming and not boilingWinter squash is watery to begin with, and boiled squash mashes into a soup. Steaming keeps the flesh dense enough to hold butter. If it still seems wet after mashing, dry it out for a minute or two in a saucepan over low heat.
• Timing depends on the squashThirty minutes suits Hubbard cut into large chunks. Butternut or acorn cut into 1½-inch pieces will be tender in 15 to 20 minutes. Test with a knife tip rather than watching the clock.
• ParingPeeling raw winter squash is the hard part of this recipe and was harder with a thin-bladed knife. A heavy vegetable peeler works on butternut; for Hubbard or kabocha, steam the pieces skin-on and scoop the flesh out afterward.
• The sugar noteThe instruction to add sugar allows for squash that was never very sweet or that has lost sweetness in storage. Modern butternut and kabocha are generally sweeter and rarely need it. Taste first.
• Seasoning proportionsFor 2 lb of prepared squash, start with 2 tablespoons butter, ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. That yields about four servings as a side.