Dulce de Chilacayota con Pan de Yema

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy Oaxacan clay cazuela, enameled Dutch oven, or wide heavy pot
• •Heavy knife or cleaver and a folded towel for stabilizing the chilacayota
• •Wooden spoon for slow syrup reduction
• •Stand mixer with dough hook or a clean table for hand kneading
• •Baking sheet for pan de yema

Instructions

1. 1

   Wake the yeast

   Stir the warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Let it stand for 10 minutes, until foamy. If it does not foam, the yeast is dead. Throw it out and start again. Bread does not forgive tired yeast.

2. 2

   Mix the dough

   In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/3 cup sugar, anise seed, and salt. Add the egg yolks, whole egg, foamy yeast mixture, softened butter, and softened lard. Mix until a shaggy yellow dough forms. The lard gives the crumb tenderness and the yolks give it color. That is why it is pan de yema.

3. 3

   Knead and rise

   Knead by hand for 10 to 12 minutes, or in a stand mixer with a dough hook for about 7 minutes, until the dough is soft, elastic, and only slightly tacky. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

   Do not keep adding flour until the dough is stiff. Pan de yema should have a tender crumb, not the chew of a bolillo.
4. 4

   Shape and bake

   Divide the dough into 2 round loaves or 10 small rolls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise until puffy, 35 to 45 minutes. Brush with egg wash and scatter sesame seeds over the top. Bake at 350F for 22 to 28 minutes, until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped. Cool completely. Day-old pan de yema is best for this dessert because it holds the syrup without collapsing.

5. 5

   Crack the chilacayota

   Set the chilacayota on a folded towel so it does not roll. Use a heavy knife or cleaver to crack it open, then cut it into large wedges. Scrape out the seeds and loose fibers. Do not peel it raw. The rind is hard and the knife can slip. The rind also helps hold the flesh together during the first cooking.

6. 6

   Make the almibar

   In a heavy clay cazuela, enameled Dutch oven, or wide pot, combine 6 cups water, piloncillo, canela, cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the piloncillo dissolves. Simmer 10 minutes, then strain if the piloncillo has grit. Return the syrup, canela, and cloves to the pot.

   Count the cloves. A whole clove hiding in the syrup punishes the person who trusts you.
7. 7

   Simmer the squash

   Add the chilacayota wedges to the piloncillo syrup, rind side down when possible. Add up to 2 cups more water if the syrup does not come halfway up the squash. Cover partially and simmer gently for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, turning the pieces carefully every 30 minutes. The flesh should turn translucent at the edges and pull away from the rind in strands.

8. 8

   Pull the strands

   Lift the tender chilacayota pieces to a tray and let them cool just enough to handle. Scrape the flesh away from the rind with a spoon, pulling it into long threads. Discard the rind. Return the threads to the syrup. This texture is the signature of the dish. If you cut it into cubes, you made something else.

9. 9

   Reduce the dulce

   Simmer the chilacayota threads uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring gently from the bottom so the syrup reduces without scorching. The dulce is ready when the syrup is dark amber, glossy, and thick enough to coat the spoon, while the strands still move loosely. Do not cook it to candy. This is an almibar, not a brick of ate.

10. 10

    Rest the pot

    Turn off the heat and let the dulce rest at least 1 hour, or overnight in the refrigerator. The strands drink the piloncillo while they rest. Remove the cloves before serving and leave the canela in the pot for scent. La paciencia es la regla del huerto.

11. 11

    Prepare the bread

    Cut the cooled pan de yema into thick slices or tear it into generous pieces. If the bread is very fresh, dry it for 5 minutes in a 300F oven or on a low comal. You want the crumb ready to absorb syrup, not soft enough to dissolve.

12. 12

    Serve in clay

    Place pieces of pan de yema in shallow Oaxacan barro bowls or a painted clay cazuela. Ladle the chilacayota threads and piloncillo syrup over the bread. Let it sit 2 minutes before carrying it to the table so the syrup enters the crumb. Serve warm or at room temperature. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Chef Tips

• •Buy mature chilacayota in season, late summer through winter, from a Mexican market if you can. At the Central de Abastos in Oaxaca the vendors know the difference between tender squash for stews and mature chilacayota for dulce. Preguntale a las señoras del mercado.
• •Do not replace piloncillo with refined white sugar. Piloncillo gives mineral depth, dark color, and the bitterness that keeps the sweet from tasting flat. White sugar makes syrup. Piloncillo makes this dulce.
• •If you cannot find chilacayota, calabaza de Castilla or kabocha can be cooked in piloncillo, but they will not pull into threads. That is a compromise, not an upgrade. Better to call it calabaza en tacha and be honest.
• •A proper Oaxacan panaderia may sell pan de yema on weekends or around Todos Santos. Buy it there if you have access. If not, make the bread and let it sit overnight. Fresh bread is proud of itself. Day-old bread does the work.
• •The dulce keeps well because that was the point. The fruit was free; the technique made it last. Keep it in a clean jar in the refrigerator and spoon it over bread, yogurt, or chocolate de agua for several days.

Advance Preparation

• •The pan de yema can be baked 1 day ahead. That is better for serving because the crumb absorbs the syrup without falling apart.
• •The dulce can be made up to 5 days ahead and refrigerated in a clean covered jar or container. Rewarm gently or serve at room temperature.
• •For a celebration table, make the dulce the day before and bake the bread the morning before. On the day itself, you only slice, warm, and ladle.
• •Do not freeze the finished dessert. The squash threads lose their texture and the bread becomes wet in the wrong way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 380g)