Crab and Sweet Pumpkin Chupe Pie with Crunchy Merkén Bread Crust

Name: Crab and Sweet Pumpkin Chupe Pie with Crunchy Merkén Bread Crust
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Chilena
Ingredients: 14 oz cooked crab meat; 1.1 lb sweet pumpkin; 1 1/2 cups corn kernels; 1 1/4 cups onion; 2 cloves garlic; 6.3 oz crusty Chilean bread; 1 2/3 cups whole milk; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 6.3 oz Chanco cheese; 3 1/2 tbsp butter; 1/3 cup white wine; 2/3 cup vegetable broth; 2 units eggs; 2 tsp merkén; 1 cup red bell pepper; 1/4 cup fresh parsley; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper

An original Chilean-style baked pie inspired by coastal and homey Chilean flavors: a creamy filling of crab, sweet pumpkin, and corn, bound with soaked bread, milk, and cheese, then topped with a crunchy marraqueta, butter, and merkén crust. Comforting, golden, and deeply Chilean.

25 minPrep

45 minCook

70 minTotal

6Servings

High Protein

Ingredients

Adjust servings

400 g cooked crab meat (desmenuzada and revisada for retirar restos of caparazón)
500 g sweet pumpkin (pelado and cut diced small)
250 g corn kernels (fresh or congelado)
180 g onion (chopped diced small)
10 g garlic (chopped fino)
180 g crusty Chilean bread (without corteza gruesa, divided en dos partes)
400 ml whole milk (tibia)
120 ml heavy cream (for dar cremosidad)
180 g Chanco cheese (grated grueso, divided en dos partes)
50 g butter (divided en dos partes)
80 ml white wine (optional pero recomendado)
150 ml vegetable broth (or agua hot)
2 units eggs (lightly batidos)
6 g merkén (divided en relleno and crust)
120 g red bell pepper (chopped small)
12 g fresh parsley (chopped fino)
15 ml vegetable oil (for sofreír)
8 g salt (or a taste)
2 g black pepper (freshly ground)

Nutrition facts

per serving

471 kcal

Calories

24 g

Protein

29 g

Carbs

28 g

Fat

3 g

Fiber

26 g

Net carbs

Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.

Allergens

GlutenDairyEggsShellfishSulfites

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 200 °C / 400 °F. Grease a medium baking dish with a little of the butter.
2
Place the sweet pumpkin in a pot with water and a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until tender but not falling apart. Drain well and set aside.
3
Divide the bread into two portions: 120 g (about 4.2 oz) for the filling and 60 g (about 2.1 oz) for the crust. Tear the filling portion into pieces and soak it in the warm milk for 5 minutes.
4
In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil with 20 g butter over medium heat. Sauté the onion and red bell pepper for 6 to 8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
5
Add the white wine and let it boil for 2 minutes so it reduces slightly. Stir in the vegetable broth, corn, and merkén. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring.
6
Add the crab meat, cooked sweet pumpkin, cream, the soaked bread with all the milk, 120 g of the Chanco cheese, salt, and black pepper. Cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring gently until creamy and thick.
7
Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the fresh parsley and then the beaten eggs, mixing quickly so they incorporate without scrambling.
8
Transfer the mixture to the buttered baking dish and level the top.
9
For the crust, crumble the remaining 60 g of bread finely. Mix it with the remaining 30 g of melted butter, the remaining merkén, and the remaining 60 g of Chanco cheese.
10
Spread the crust evenly over the pie. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 200 °C / 400 °F, until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
11
Let it rest for 8 minutes before serving so it can set slightly. Serve hot.

Chef tips

For deeper flavor, lightly dry-toast the corn before adding it to the sauté. Check the crab carefully to avoid any shell fragments in the filling.

Substitutions

You can replace the crab with surimi or chopped cooked shrimp, though the flavor profile will change. Chanco cheese can be swapped for low-moisture mozzarella or mantecoso cheese. If marraqueta is unavailable, use firm white bread or day-old baguette.

What I used to make it

Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.

Illustrative image
Ninja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
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Illustrative image
Cosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
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Illustrative image
T-fal Ultimate Hard Anodized 12" Non-Stick Pan
Eggs, omelets and stir-fries
- Eggs and omelets that don’t stick
- Comfortable, sturdy handle
- Use wooden or silicone utensils
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