cooking for the chill … Four Ways with Roasted Delicata Squash

Winter is coming. Seems obvious and though I’m having a hard time truly accepting this fact, I came face-to-face with the inevitable. It snowed on Halloween. Oh joy. It was a light dusting in the morning followed by that particularly awful mix of cold slightly frozen rain, huge traffic delays and everyone generally acting like an idiot. At the end of my two hour commute home I saw a few determined trick-or-treaters on the streets. Good for you kids, good for you. I hope you took home loads of treats for simply braving that mess.

Once ensconced in my warm and dry apartment, thoughts turned to dinner naturally. After that drive, my energy and enthusiasm for cooking was low but I was hungry and seeing those trick-or-treaters triggered a need for something seasonal and cozy. I wandered into the kitchen and eyed the squash on the counter where it had been in residence for some time. It was hard to miss though I’d successfully managed to avoid direct eye contact for at least a week. I just didn’t want to admit it was squash eating weather yet. After a short internal debate, a decision was made. Tonight it was going to be dinner. A simple, warming, low maintenance dinner. But first I needed an idea.

Here’s the thing about squash: while I often love the idea of it, I don’t always love how it tastes. Too often the flavors don’t match the vibrant orange and yellow hues that draw me in. But many varieties are a lot like tofu – rather bland and flavorless to start but greatly enhanced by what you add to it. Last year on a whim, I threw a couple of long yellow, orange and green striped squashes I hadn’t noticed before into my market bag. The farmer told they were Delicata and responded particularly well to roasting. Ok then.

I did a little research and confirmed that roasting was indeed to the route to take. As I experimented, I discovered delicata have a lot going for them – a mild sweet flavor and great texture, not stringy, overly dense or watery. The skin becomes rather tender during roasting and can easily be eaten, unlike many types of squash with their tough leathery hides. They’re also comparatively easy to cut through – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost mortally wounded myself hacking into an acorn squash. Damn hazards they are. And though they work particularly well with my favorite roasting flavors – butter, maple, brown sugar, bourbon – they do well with all kinds of spices, flavors and influences. I was on to something.

When roasting squash, I especially like pooling delicious things into the cavity – nutty stuffings, spicy brown sugar mixtures and always a lot of butter. With the delicata, if the halves are cut on the diagonal, a little boat shape is created perfect for filling with an intoxicating mixture of things. A high heat roast turns this combination into something very delicious – tender, caramelized flesh and if you use maple syrup, just enough sweetness to add flavor but not teeter over into the grotesquely sweet category.

Over time, I came up with all kinds of variations, taking influences from all over the globe – Asia, the Middle East and good old U S of A. I also experimented with different combinations of the “sweet baking” spices – cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice – and they were delicious as well, especially with a little heat from cayenne or sriracha. I’ve given some suggestions below but experiment with whatever strikes your fancy. You do need a little fat whether it’s olive oil, coconut oil or good butter, my particular favorite. I also recommend working in a little liquid if the flavors work – wine, sake, maple syrup and fish sauce are very nice. A little sprinkle or pinch of a complimentary herb or spice is great too – fresh thyme leaves, cayenne or sesame seeds for example. Thirty minutes or so in a hot oven and you have a lovely accompaniment to some grilled meat or a counterpoint to a green or hearty grain based salad.

If you’re looking for a good Thanksgiving side dish, look no further. Delicata are plentiful at fall farmers markets right now but I’m also seeing them more often in regular grocery stores and Trader Joe’s. Seek them out; they’re worth the effort. Maybe they’ll become your new favorite too.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: RESTORATIVE. There is something very therapeutic to hacking into a squash and scooping out its guts. Remember when you used to carve jack-o-lanterns as a kid and would dig your hangs into the cavity to scoop out the gunk? It was fun, right? It’s like that but much more civilized. And you get to eat it later.

Other squash recipes: Squash & Onion Tart,  Baked Squash Bread Pudding, Pumpkin Hummus
On this blog five years ago: Cucumber Kimchi, Mulitgrain Bread
On this blog four years ago: Chicken Pot Pies for the freezer, Community Gardening
On this blog three years ago: Simple Apple Cake
On this blog two years ago: Roasted Squash & Kale Salad
On this blog last year: Pickled Green Cherry Tomatoes (aka TomOlives)

 

ROASTED DELICATA SQUASH – FOUR WAYS
For 1 squash – 4 pieces – serves 2

1 medium delicata squash

Flavor Options:

Maple Butter:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
kosher salt & ground black pepper
3-4 teaspoons pure maple syrup
pinch of ground cayenne (for sprinkling on top)

Thai Red Curry:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¾ teaspoon red curry paste
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
kosher salt & ground black pepper
3-4 teaspoons Thai fish sauce

Mediterranean Za’atar:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
½ teaspoon za’atar
kosher salt & ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (for sprinkling on top)

Miso Butter:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 Tablespoon white miso paste
kosher salt & ground black pepper
3-4 teaspoons sake

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the lowest position. Line a sheet pan with foil and set aside.
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. A melon baller performs this task particularly well.
3. Place the squash cut side down and cut each half lengthwise diagonally into two pieces. This creates a nice little boat that holds the juices wonderfully on one end.
4. Place, skin side down, on a foil lined sheet pan.
5. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter and the seasoning ingredients (curry paste, za’atar, miso) but not the liquid ingredients (maple syrup, fish sauce, sake)
6. Smear the flesh only of each piece equally with the seasoned butter mixture.
7. Generously season each piece with salt and pepper (go light on the salt if using fish sauce – it’s plenty salty on it’s own.)
8. Drizzle the liquid ingredient (maple syrup, fish sauce, sake) over the squash, covering as much of the surface as you can without spilling onto the pan. Most of it will pool into the concave section and that’s ok.
9. Top with any seasonings (cayenne, thyme leaves).
10. Carefully place in the oven so the liquids don’t spill and roast for 30 minutes until tender, rotating the pan halfway through.
11. Serve warm or room temperature.