In keeping with the fall (and Food Gold stereo favorites The Fall) the time of butternut squash is now upon us. I really like this recipe on account of the fact that it plays on all of the things that make this veggie such a delight for quick fall time meals—it’s sweet, savory, pretty impossible to overcook and substantial but not heavy. Here we braise the squash in luxurious heavy cream and then crisp it up using very high heat, which adds a textural interplay that is really off the chain. Recipe after de jump!

Ingredients:

– 1 1/2 lb or so butternut squash cut into 1/2 inch pieces. *Real talk, I rarely buy whole squash and instead opt for the pre cut kind. But if you want to be a prep wiz, this website does a nice job of showing how to chop it up.

– Few generous splashes or two chicken stock or water

– 1/3 to 1/2 cup heavy cream (depending on how creamy you like it)

– 1 Tablespoon of olive oil

– 1 Tablespoon of minced garlic

– Salt/Pepper to taste

– Dried or fresh parsley and/or freshly grated Parmesan for garnish

1. In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat until it shimmers and moves in waves, approx 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until nicely browned, approx 45 seconds. Be sure to move it around the pan often, so as to not burn it.

2. Add stock/water and all of heavy cream, then the cut up squash. Cover with lid/plate and braise until squash is tender and liquid is mostly evaporated.This will take about 15 minutes. Be patient and move things around a bit all de squash gets a chance to be near the hot spots. What we are doing here is softening it up and breaking down its yummy sugars. Check for seasoning and add salt/pepper if necessary. The crisping will come later.

3. Once tender and well seasoned, you can give the squash a quick throw in the broiler or crank the heat in your oven to 500 degress to brown it up and caramelize the sugars. This will also result in a delightful, crispy texture. This should take about five minutes in the oven and about half as long in the broiler.

4. Remove from oven and garnish with fresh parmesan cheese, chopped up walnuts or parsley. You can also use herbs like thyme and rosemary or spices like curry powder and get delicious results.

That’s it! Hope you enjoy!

Fork The World,

Elliot