Recently, a friend posted a ditty on instagram about delicata squash and its goodness. The very next day I hit the grocery store and found one to start experimenting with that afternoon. After preparing it a couple of different ways, I decided that this was my preferred way to eat it. So delicious and so autumnal.
Roasted Delicata Squash with Quatres Epices and Crispy Sage
4 side servings
1 medium delicata squash
4 TB unsalted butter, divided
1 TB pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp gray sea salt (sel gris)
fresh ground pepper
parmigiano-reggiano curls for garnish
10-12 small sage leaves
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash the squash well (since its delicate skin requires no peeling, you’ll be serving it skin-on). Trim ends and then slice squash in half, length-wise.
Using a grapefruit spoon (the serrated edge makes this step a cinch), scrape out all the seeds and fibers. Slice each half into 1/2 inch crescents. Place the squash crescents (in rows) either in a cast iron skillet or a 10×10 baking dish.
Place 2 TB of butter, pure maple syrup and quatres epices in a small saucepan. Melt over medium low heat for two minutes. Pour evenly over the squash. Sprinkle with sea salt and and a swift turn of fresh, ground pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in the same small saucepan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Over medium heat, saute the sage leaves until slightly crispy (but not burnt), about five minutes. Pour the mixture through a small sieve (over the sink) and then drain the crispy sage leaves on a paper towel. After a few minutes, carefully garnish the roasted delicata squash with the sage and parmesan curls. Serve immediately.
