Heirloom Squash Salad With Pepita Purée and Pickled Shallots
- Total Time
- 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 8ounces (1 cup) plus 2 tablespoons raw unsalted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
- ½cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¾cup vegetable stock, and more as needed
- 1teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt and white pepper
- Salt
- 1½cups white wine vinegar
- ½cup sugar, preferably raw
- Half a cinnamon stick
- 5cloves
- 1fresh bay leaf
- 1star anise
- Dash of hot red pepper flakes
- 1pound shallots (about 8 to 12), thinly sliced
- Salt
- 2unpeeled delicata squash, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into ½-inch thick half-circles
- The necks of 2 butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut with an apple corer into small cylinders
- 2unpeeled kabocha squash (also known as buttercup), ends trimmed, halved root to stem and cut into 6 half-circles
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 to 3tablespoons vegetable oil
For the Pepita Purée
For the Pickled Shallots
For the Squash
Preparation
- Step 1
Make the pepita purée: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Toss the pepitas with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and roast until evenly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Step 2
Set aside 2 tablespoons of the cooled pepitas and place remaining pepitas in a blender with ¾ cup vegetable stock. Purée, drizzling in the remaining olive oil. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Purée again, adding more broth if necessary for a consistency that is slightly thinner than tomato paste.
- Step 3
Cook the shallots: Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a simmer. Meanwhile, in another large saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, star anise and red pepper flakes. Bring the vinegar mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Step 4
Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Blanch the shallots in the simmering water for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the bowl of ice water until cooled, then drain well.
- Step 5
Add the shallots to the vinegar mixture and simmer for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week; bring to room temperature before using.
- Step 6
Make the squash: Heat oven to 450 degrees. Fill a large pot halfway with lightly salted water and set over high heat to bring to a simmer. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Spread paper towels across two baking sheets and set aside.
- Step 7
Using one type of squash at a time, blanch in the simmering water until tender but not falling apart. The delicata and butternut squash may take about 2 minutes; the kabocha may take slightly longer. Be careful not to overcook. As soon as the squash are blanched, remove with tongs or a slotted ladle and plunge into the ice water. When they have cooled, transfer to paper towels. Pat the squash with paper towels and allow to dry well; they will not brown when roasted if the surfaces are not dry.
- Step 8
Spread all the squash on 2 large baking sheets and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil and rub the surfaces to coat well. Roast until the squash starts to color, 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, spread the pepita purée on a large platter or individual plates, creating an even layer about ⅛-inch thick.
- Step 9
Transfer the roasted squash to the platter or plates on top of the purée, arranging it loosely to show off the different shapes. Disperse a cup of the drained pickled shallots among the squash. Garnish with the remaining pepitas, and serve warm.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
This was tasty and an impressive presentation with a few small tweaks. Blanching and then roasting the squash was a bit finicky, so I think just roasting would be perfectly fine next time. I added thyme and extra lemon to the pepita sauce, as it needed a little something to boost the flavor. Don’t overtoast the pepitas, or you’ll get an unappetizing grey purée. Liberally add the shallots. I may spice the topping pepitas next time to add some heat or nuance with harissa or sumac.
I found that the blanching process made the skin (especially on the kabocha) more edible. Roasting it raw leaves the skin crispy, which I feel is not the design of this dish.
This was tasty and an impressive presentation with a few small tweaks. Blanching and then roasting the squash was a bit finicky, so I think just roasting would be perfectly fine next time. I added thyme and extra lemon to the pepita sauce, as it needed a little something to boost the flavor. Don’t overtoast the pepitas, or you’ll get an unappetizing grey purée. Liberally add the shallots. I may spice the topping pepitas next time to add some heat or nuance with harissa or sumac.
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