You Really Should Be Brûléeing Your Squash

Plus A Simple Fall Salad And An Upcoming Pop-Up

I really cant believe it’s taken me this long to take a torch to a squash. My ingredient rotation in the fall consistently has a clear winner and it is definitely winter squash. Ever since eating this Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onion with Tahini from the book Sami Tamimi and Yotam Ottolenghi’s book Jerusalem, I became hooked on the versatility of the fruit (still feels weird to say). I found myself making recipes that constantly road the line between sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy, spicy and mild.

Cut it up, season it with olive oil and salt, and roast at 400F/200C - I can’t recall how many times I’ve given a squash this treatment. You end up with this lightly browned, crispy, savory exterior with a sweet creamy interior. Perfect to throw into salads, blend into soup, or garnish with a sauce and some nuts.

It’s inherent sweet creaminess when cooked makes it a perfect candidate to be a star dessert contributor. I’ve put it in cookies, pies, and breads but never treated the squash itself as the star of the show….. until now.

The world of squash is changing constantly thanks to companies like Row 7, a seed breeder putting out some pretty special squash varieties. One of my favorites from them is their Koginut squash - a hybrid of butternut and Kabocha. They also developed the Honeypatch squash, a close sibling to the Honeynut squash. This single-serving sized squash and relative to the butternut is custardy and oh so sweet making it the perfect candidate for a brûlée.

I was honestly surprised with the effort vs the reward with this recipe. If you’re looking for a simple show-stopping fall dessert, look no further.

The Process

I like to roast the halved squash, skin side up, with olive oil and salt at 400°F (200°C) until it’s tender throughout. Let it cool completely before brûléeing.

The best way to brûlée anything is with a blowtorch. Technically you may be able to use your oven’s broiler but I have found the results inconsistent as the broiler tends to burns the squash or anything else you may be brûléeing a bit too much. With a torch you have much more control and are able to ensure you are evenly caramelizing the sugar. Make sure you add enough sugar to coat the flesh completely. This will ensure you get that signature crackling top.

This dessert is not complete without throwing a scoop of ice cream in the natural squash cup. Pecan ice cream is my preference here but classic vanilla would also work well. I ended up using vanilla caramel pecan from Hagen Dazs. Garnish with a few extra nuts or the toasted squash seeds, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.

Other Bits and Bobs

I’ve been eating a variation of this very simple kale salad recently.

V1 was with apples, jicama, and Comté. The dressing was olive oil and sherry vinegar. I really loved the crunch of the jicama but I’ve been having trouble finding it again in the city .

V2 was with seared romano beans, apples, and Comté. The dressing was a mustardy vinaigrette with apple cider vinegar.

I also made some habanada pepper jam. I think I am going to make a video about this and put it in my ideal breakfast sandwich. Habanadas are another creation from Row 7. All the floral fruitiness from a Habanero without the heat!

I am a part of a canned wine company called Oona. We have two wines out now that I think are delicious and quite unique. A lightly effervescent Barbera Rosé and a beautiful skin-contact Pinot Gris that may be the lowest ABV wine out there (8.5%) ! We are shipping fast and free domestically if you want to try some out! I also have some recipes on our site to pair alongside.

POP-UP

I’m going to be cooking at Sauced in Manhattan on Oct. 22nd with the boys from Eat Wasted, a company making some really incredible dried pasta out of bread waste in Copenhagen. Be on the lookout for more details in the coming week!