Roasted Squash with Yoghurt, Walnuts and Spiced Green Sauce
This beautiful autumnal dish always delights at the table as it has the right balance between flavour and texture, whilst been satisfying and very delicious.
INGREDIENTS
350g Plain Wholemilk Yoghurt
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tsp lemon zest
900g winter squash – ideally a mix of different kinds
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – we love using a decisive peppery oil with this dish because it lifts the base notes of the squash. Try Intosso from Trappeto di Caprafico in Abruzzo or Incipit from Marco Rizzo in Campania.
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
Spicy green sauce (see below)
A generous handful of walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds
Seasoning to taste
For the spiced green sauce
½ tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 cardamom pods
2 roughly chopped hot green chilies
1 clove garlic
A small bunch of coriander / cilantro
A small bunch of flat leaf parsley
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Flaked Salt and Pepper to taste
METHOD
Firstly, make the spicy green sauce by blitzing all of the ingredients in a small blender. Set aside.
Then line a sieve with a dampened cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Put the yoghurt in and let it sit for around an hour so that the whey drains away and the yoghurt becomes thick and creamy. Then mix the yoghurt, garlic, lemon zest and salt. Set aside.
Heat the oven to 200C/400F.
Trim and peel your squash cutting in to slices or cubes as you prefer.
Lay this out on a lined baking sheet and toss in 2tbsp olive oil and season generously – you should need between 20-30 minutes to bake the squash, depending on the water content and texture. Allow to cool slightly on the baking sheet when done.
Arrange the squash on a platter and spoon the yoghurt over in ribbons. Then sprinkle with the vinegar. Spoon over the spicy green sauce. Scatter over the walnuts and seeds and then drizzle with a final flurry of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This can be served either slightly warm or at room temperature.