Trick or Treat
Butternut Squash and Pancetta Gratin
Autumn is upon us. My thoughts have turned turn to All Hallows Eve and grinning Jack-o-Lanterns, and Harvest Festivals with brimming baskets of seasonal produce, especially Squash. Huge fat pumpkins, and golden Butternut. Nothing feels quite as right to eat at this time of year as that soft, sweet, forgiving flesh which is just so adaptable.
Butternut squash has long been a staple on my shopping list; generally more popular than Pumpkin, the nutty deep orange pulp of the Butternut will happily do whatever the cook demands of it.
Squashes can be used to make breads and muffins; it can be stuffed, roasted, toasted; makes hearty soups and casseroles as well as a tasty companion to a roast dinner, and is delicious Italian style with risotto, pasta or made as a gnocchi. In Mrs. Nightingale’s kitchen, Butternut Squash it is more versatile than potatoes.
It lends itself particularly well to spices and herbs; sage is especially glorious with squash. In fact, my repertoire of recipes using this little beauty is probably more comprehensive than any other ingredient. It is most definitely my favourite food.
Try roasted squash & sage leaves, drizzled with olive oil and topped with toasted Macadamia nuts as a base beneath a spatchcocked garlic chicken, or served with spicy lamb koftas on skewers, and these will become family favourites.
With Halloween and Bonfires looming, I have decided on the warmth and comfort of a Butternut Squash Gratin as the recipe to share this month. I tend to vary it with the addition of white beans, chorizo, and spinach – anything that I have to hand. Ham Hock works very well as the additional meat ingredient in place of the pancetta, as the saltiness cuts through the sweetness of the squash.
A delicious recipe that is no ‘Trick’, just total ‘Treat’.
INGREDIENTS
1.25kg Butternut squash (approximately 2 x squash)
100 g Pancetta, chopped
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
125ml dry white wine
2-3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1 bay leaf (sage is also a good alternative to bay)
Good pinch dried chilli flakes
450g vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled and chopped
150 ml double cream
Grated nutmeg
100g Gruyère cheese, finely grated
METHOD
Peel and de-seed the squash. Cut into small, chunky pieces. You should have at least 750g – 1 kg of flesh. For this recipe I tend to use two squash.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium-sized pan, then add the onion and garlic and cook gently until the onion is soft and translucent Add the wine and simmer until reduced. Add the thyme, bay or sage leaf, chilli flakes and tomatoes and leave to simmer gently for 15 minutes until thickened. Discard the bay leaf and spoon the sauce onto the base of an ovenproof dish.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C. Heat the rest of the oil in a large pan, then add the squash and pancetta, sauté gently for 3-4 minutes. Scatter the squash over the tomato sauce.
In a small pan, bring the cream, some seasoning and a little grated nutmeg to the boil, and then remove from the heat.
Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the squash, pour over the cream and bake for 30 minutes, until the squash is tender and the cheese is golden and bubbling. Sprinkle with thyme leaves to garnish.
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