I have long stopped peeling raw pumpkins, unless it is for very specific, unavoidable circumstances. In all other instances I will put them in a hot oven whole, or cut down the middle, and let the roasting make my life easier. Then I will remove the flesh with a spoon for further use, or serve it in the skin, for a rustique approach. Here it is bathed in beurre noisette while roasting, and topped with crispy chilli, ginger, garlic and sage leaves. This is a great winter side dish to almost anything I would say.
Turn oven on at 200 degrees Celsius. Cut
Butternut squash. 1 pc
in half lengthwise and remove seeds with a spoon. Place on a tray and put in the oven for 60 minutes. Meanwhile, place in a pot over medium heat:
Butter, unsalted, 125 gr
and allow it heat enough so that the milk solids separate to the bottom of the pan, and you are left with the nutty flavoured, melted butterfat. Use half of this amount to shallow fry over medium heat (start with the ginger then a couple of minutes after add the chilli, garlic, and sage):
Ginger, 2 tbsp, very thinly diced
Garlic, 2 big cloves, very thinly diced
Chilli, red, 4 tbsp, very thinly diced
Sage leaves, 4 tbsps, very thinly striped
After the 60 minutes, turn heat down to 180, pierce the squash with a fork on various points and spoon some of the butterfat on the squash (a couple of teaspoons, or use a brush to evenly coat the sutrace). Repeat after 15 minutes, and remove from oven at the 90 minute mark, when the flesh should be very soft.
Place on a platter, season with sea salt flakes, top with the salsa and the remaining beurre noisette, and dig in.