Vegetarian mains
Hasselback Butternut squash
Hasselback is a technique normally used with potatoes; the process of thinly slicing and then roasting allows more surface area to crisp up. Adding a honey, mustard and balsamic glaze towards the end of cooking results in crispy, sticky, sweet squashy goodness. This recipe would work well with spiced couscous, quinoa, or on its own as part of a veggie platter.
Cook's notes
Cooking time will vary accordingly with the size of the squash used.
Ingredients
For the squash
- 1 medium sized Butternut squash
- 4 bay leaves
- olive oil
For the glaze
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 40g salted butter
- 2 tbsp balsamic glaze
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Prepare the squash by cutting it in half lengthways, then scooping out the seeds with a spoon. With a sharp knife, hasselback the squash widthways, by cutting a slice every 3-5 mm, from top to bottom. Make sure you don’t cut all the way down to the chopping board – you want the squash to stay intact. Tip: place wooden chopsticks either side of the squash to prevent accidentally slicing all the way through.
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Step 2
Rub or brush olive oil over the squash and season with salt and black pepper. Place cut-side down in a roasting tray, then add the bay leaves into the slices in the squash. Bake for 15 minutes.
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Step 3
While the squash is in the oven, add all the ingredients for the glaze to a saucepan. Cook over a low heat until the sugar, butter and honey have melted and the mix is thoroughly combined.
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Step 4
After 15 minutes, remove the squash from the oven and brush over the glaze. Repeat this every 8/10 minutes until the squash has cooked through: the centre should be soft and the outside should have crisped up.