Recipe: Hasselback Butternut or Honeynut Squash with Verjus Brown Butter and Pomegranate
Recipe by Chef Paul Eschbach
For the Squash
2-3 # Squash
4 oz Olive Oil
T.t Kosher Salt (To taste)
T.t Black Pepper
4 ea Rosemary
Peel the squash all the way to the flesh layer. Carefully split and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds in the base. Dress the bottom of your roasting pan with olive oil and rub oil liberally over the squash season all sides with salt and pepper. Lay the squash cut side down on the rosemary and roast at 375 for 20 min until the squash is just beginning to get tender.
Pull the squash from the oven and let cool till you can handle it carefully. Remove the rosemary. Using a sharp knife slice the squash every eight of an inch or whatever you feel comfortable with. Do not slice all the way through stop about .25 inch from the cut bottom. Dress squash with Pomegranate Syrup and return to roasting and basting with syrup until completely cooked and glazed.
For the Verjus Brown Butter
4 oz Butter
1 tsp Salt
2 oz Minus 8 Verjus
On medium heat melt the butter with salt. When the butter starts to foam whisk to loosen the milk solids from the pot and keep whisking till the solids are lightly toasted. Let cool for a few minutes and carefully stir in the verjus. Reserve warm for plating.
For the Pomegranate Syrup
12 oz Pomegranate Juice
2 oz Sugar
Combine and simmer in a pot till slightly viscous and balanced in sweet and sour.
Fried Shallot and Ginger
8 oz Neutral Oil
4 oz Shallot sliced evenly on a Mandolin
4 oz .25 inch diced Ginger
T.t. Salt
Fresh Pomegranate seeds for garnish
In a saute pan or sautoir combine shallots and oil and cook on medium heat, once the oil is hot and there is action in the pan keep stirring until the shallots are just golden. Immediately remove the shallot from the oil to a multiple paper towels spread out to cool and season with salt. Repeat this with the ginger.
To Plate
Using a large spatula carefully lift and arrange the squash on a warm platter for serving. Generously spoon the verjus brown butter all over the squash and platter then follow with the syrup having fun along the way. Top the squash with the fried ginger, shallot, and fresh pomegranate seeds. Follow with a nice flake sea salt like maldon and your choice of herb if you like ie mint, parsley, or cilantro.