From Ari's Family Table to Beba
MY MOM WAS ALWAYS KEEN ON FINDING NEW WAYS TO FEED HER KIDS VEGETABLES. Since we lived in Ushuaia, Argentina—the southernmost city in the world—she relied heavily on vegetables shipped from northern provinces. Squash travelled well, so it became a staple in her kitchen during the colder months. A lot of food we cook today at Beba came from that family table, and this is just a gussied-up version of Mom’s squash, with a fancy crumble on top and some Quebec cheese curds added to the mix. —Ari Schor – Beba, Montreal
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium butternut squash, about 2 kg (4 lb)
- 60 ml (1⁄4 cup) olive oil
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 60 ml (1⁄4 cup) pumpkin seeds
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 200 g (8 oz) cheese curds
- pepper
- nutmeg
- 60 ml (1/4cup) breadcrumbs (preferably homemade)
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) grated Parmigiano Reggiano
METHOD
Preheat oven to 175C (350F). Split the squash lengthwise. Remove the seeds, rub the flesh with about 1 tbsp of the oil and season with 1 tsp salt. Arrange squash halves cut-side down on a baking pan lined with parchment paper and bake until tender when pierced with a fork, about 50 minutes.
Transfer to the countertop to cool for 30 minutes.
Combine pumpkin seeds, 1 tbsp oil and 1⁄2 tsp of salt in a bowl and toss. Spread mixture on a baking tray and transfer to the oven for 10 minutes. Set aside.
Raise oven temperature to 200C (400F).
Combine the remaining oil and the garlic in a small saucepan on medium heat. When the garlic turns golden—about three minutes—remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Reserve the oil. Without piercing or tearing the skin of the squash halves, carefully remove the flesh and transfer to a bowl.
Mash it with a fork until smooth. Add the reserved garlic-flavoured oil, cheese curds and remaining 11⁄2 tsp of salt and fold until incorporated. Add pepper and nutmeg to taste.
Stuff the squash skins with the squash mixture and arrange skin-side down on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Combine breadcrumbs, pumpkin seeds, Parmigiano Reggiano and fried garlic in a bowl and mix well. Top each stuffed squash half evenly with the pumpkin-seed mixture. Transfer to the oven until bronzed, about 20 minutes.
Serves 4 as a Side Dish
📷 Ariel Schor
