butternut squash preparation?

[ratcreature]

I have bought a butternut squash for the first time (pumpkins and squashes just aren't that popular here, so you don't usually get them offered in a great variety, but I saw some offered today), and since I have never had butternut squash before, I have no idea how to prepare it to best bring out its flavor so I can decide whether I like it or not. So do any of you regular squash eaters from overseas (or anyone else really) have any suggestions for me?

Also, I just got through my regular eye checkup this morning, and am very happy even though right now my sight is still blurry, because my retinas remain both unchanged from last time, and the checkup interval got even lengthened back to a year from the previous six months. *does the snoopy dance of fewer retina examinations*

Comments

[marag.livejournal.com]

My favorite way to eat butternut squash is actually in soup. If you're interested, I think I have my recipe already typed up on the computer somewhere and I could post it here. The soup freezes very well.

My MIL usually cuts it in half, sprays oil on the halves, and then bakes them cut side down in the oven on a moderately high temperature until the insides are soft. Then you scoop out the insides and mix them with whatever tickles your fancy.

Some people go sweet and add a little honey or cinnamon or whatever, but I prefer the savoury, so I usually add salt and pepper.

[cereta.livejournal.com]

I highly recommend kassrachel's butternut squash risotto (http://kassrachel.livejournal.com/429013.html). Most yummy.

[cereta.livejournal.com]

I'd love to see the soup recipe ;).

[ratcreature]

Is the soup mainly from the squash? I'm basically looking for a recipe where the taste of the squash isn't buried among a lot of other stuff, like for example I've seen recipes elsewhere putting it in some ratatouille thing with lots of other vegetables, but that's not what I'm looking for, since I want to see what the squash tastes like on its own. The baking sounds like a possibility though.

[ratcreature]

Thanks for the link, that does indeed sound yummy.

[marag.livejournal.com]

Obviously, when I make the soup, it's with veggie broth, because of the milk and butter, but I hereby present the recipe as I found it in some magazine years ago. Also, I puree the entire pot using my hand mixer, rather than pureeing it in batches in a blender. ::shrug:: Both work.

I recommend serving it with a dollop of sour cream. Mmmm.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

1 cup chopped onion
3 minced garlic cloves
5 tbs unsalted butter
1 tbs curry powder
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 to 5 pound pumpkin or winter squash, peeled and seeded and chopped (5-8 cups)
1/2 cup dried green or red lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 1/2 cups milk

In a pot cook the onion and garlic in butter over moderately low heat until they are soft and stir in curry powder, broth, pumpkin, and lentils. Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender.

Puree the pumpkin mixture in batches and force it through a sieve into the pot. Stir in milk and bring the soup to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

(Sorry if you get this multiple times. LJ is being funky.)

[marag.livejournal.com]

It's very much a squash soup, but baking it is very nice too, and much easier. I recommend baking it, tasting it and then deciding how you want to season it.

[ratcreature]

Thanks for the recipe, that looks similar to something I sometimes do to hokkaido pumpkin.

[owlfish]

(Wandered here via friendsfriends)

The easiest way to prepare butternet squash is to preheat the over to c. 180 C, stab a few holes in the squash with a sharp knife, put squash on baking tray in oven, and wait an hour. I love squash both for flavor and because it's so easy to prepare. After an hour's baking, cut in half, scoop out seeds, scrape out flesh, and use as you wish.

I'm partial to mashing it up with lots of butter, cream, and fresh sage. Sautéed onions also make a fine addition. (For a sweet version, add orange juice.)

[penknife.livejournal.com]

You can split the squash, scoop out the seeds, put a little butter and maple syrup (If you have maple syrup? You could probably substitute honey) in the hollowed-out part, and bake it for about an hour until it's tender, basting it every now and then with the melted butter mixture. Yummy.

Or peel and chop it into chunks (not the easiest thing to do, but possible), toss with olive oil, whatever herbs you like and a little bit of salt and pepper, and roast in a hot oven until it's tender and starting to brown. Or bake or steam the squash, and then make a very simple soup by blending it with chicken broth (and a little cream, if you like) and adding salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

[brownbetty]

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[ratcreature]

Thanks, this sounds simple and tasty!

[ratcreature]

Heh, I've watched one or two on Youtube.

[owlfish]

Further tip! Cooked squash can be a pain to get off of a baking tray when dried - you might want to line it with tin foil before cooking the squash.

[ratcreature]

Thanks a lot for the suggestions!

[tazlet.livejournal.com]

I'll lend support to this one -- butter, honey and cinamon -- works for acorn squash, too. Also squash stuffed with sausage and baked is wonderful.

[ratcreature]

I'm not much into tofu sausages (I really don't go for imitation meat products in general and since I'm vegetarian real sausages are not an option), so I doubt I'll try that.

But I did bake the squash, and it was quite delicious. I didn't eat it sweet though, because I felt like having something savory for dinner. So I had it with butter, some sour cream, salt, pepper and a bit of nutmeg together with some bread dumplings.