Provencal pumpkin tian

A creamy starter or side dish for 6 people - it works really well with roast meats and chicken

Ingredients

750g seeded pumpkins (weight with skin but without seeds and fibres)

pinch of grated nutmeg

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

25g vegetable oil

1 tbsp plain flour

250ml milk

1 medium egg, lightly beaten

85g Gruyère cheese, grated

handful of flaked almonds

Method

Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. Peel the pumpkin and cut the flesh into smallish pieces. Put it in a pan with about 6 tbsp water. Put the lid on and steam for 15-20 minutes until very soft.

Mash with a masher or fork, season and add the nutmeg. If it is watery, return to the heat and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

While the pumpkin is steaming, fry the onion in a medium-sized saucepan in the butter and oil for about 10 minutes, until softened but not brown. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually pour in the milk, a little at a time, stirring all the time to prevent lumps from forming, and cook over a low heat until the sauce thickens.

Mix the white sauce with the pumpkin and the egg, and beat well. Pour into a wellbuttered small ceramic baking dish. Sprinkle over the cheese and almonds and bake for 40 minutes, or until slightly firm and golden on top.