Monday, July 07, 2014

Ottolenghi's "out of this world" roast butternut squash

Okay, I had this at my brilliant cook friend, Michaela's house. Then I made it last night. Chris described it as the "most scrumdiddlyumptious squash" he's ever had and "out of this world." This is worth making, even through the fiddly process of grinding the green cardamom in the pestle and mortar. Other than that, it's a breeze.

(via The Telegraph)

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH SWEET SPICES, LIME AND GREEN CHILLI
Serves four to six
2 whole limes
Maldon sea salt
4 tbsp olive oil1 medium butternut squash, about 900g (2lb)
2 tbsp cardamom pods
1 tsp ground allspice
100g (3 1/2 oz) Greek yogurt
30g (1oz) tahini paste
1 tbsp lime juice
1 green chilli, thinly sliced
10g (1/2oz) picked coriander leaves

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 425°F/gas mark 7.
Trim off the limes' tops and tails using a small, sharp knife. Stand each lime on a chopping-board and cut down the sides of the fruit, following its natural curves, to remove the skin and white pith. Quarter the limes from top to bottom, and cut each quarter into thin slices, 1-2mm (1/12in) thick. Place them in a small bowl, sprinkle with a little salt, drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil, stir and set aside.
Next, cut the butternut in half lengthways, scoop out the seeds and discard. Cut each half, top to bottom, into 1cm (½in) thick slices. Slice off the peel, if you wish, and lay the slices on a large baking-sheet lined with greaseproof paper.
Place the cardamom pods in a mortar and work with a pestle to get the seeds out of the pods. Discard the pods and work the seeds to a rough powder. Transfer to a small bowl, add the allspice and the remaining 3 tbsp oil, stir well and brush this mixture over the butternut slices. Sprinkle over a little salt and place in the oven for 15 minutes or until tender when tested with the point of a knife. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, whisk together the yogurt, tahini, lime juice, 2 tbsp water and a pinch of salt. The sauce should be thick but runny enough to pour; add more water if necessary.
To serve, arrange the cooled butternut slices on a serving platter and drizzle with the yogurt sauce. Spoon over the lime slices and their juices and scatter the chilli slices over the top. Garnish with the coriander and serve.

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