2-1/4 to 2-1/2 pounds (1 to 1.15 kilograms) winter squash (about 1/2 kabocha or red kuri squash)
2 tablespoons (30 grams)unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (25 grams) olive oil, divided
Leaves from 6 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1 cup (235 grams) vegetable broth
14/ cup (60 grams) apple-cider vinegar
1 cup (230 grams) plain Greek-style yogurt
2 cups (55 grams) baby arugula leaves
Note: If you can find it—you can often buy squash in halves
or quarters from a farmers' market, which is great, because
it runs large—kabocha is my favorite here, followed by red
kuri squash. Butternut and acorn squash work, too. The peel of
winter squash is fully edible, so no need to trim it away.
This is my favorite way to cook winter squash. It takes a cue from
Tfondant, or melting, potatoes, a technique in which thick slices of
potato are roasted on both sides before they finish cooking braised in a
puddle of broth. From the oven, they're crisp and somewhat glazed out-
side, creamy inside, and booming with more flavor than it seems possible
to lock inside a potato. Clearly, I'm a fan—but I had no idea that when I
applied this technique to big wedges of winter squash I'd never want to
cook it another way again.
I add to the pan everything I like with winter squash—thyme, garlic,
and cider vinegar, which gets sweet/tangy when cooked and really helps
cut through the sweetness of squash —and then I put the whole thing on a
plate of tart yogurt and peppery baby arugula. Any slightly syrupy broth
left in the pan is poured over everything, and it's all so good together, you
might wonder why you'd ever consider squash a side dish again. This is
centerpiece squash, and it wants you to know it.
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp, then slice
the halves into 1-1/2-inch wedges. Add butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil
to a 10-by-15-inch baking sheet, and place in the oven until the butter
melts, about 2 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, and roll the but-
ter around so that it evenly coats the pan. Arrange the squash wedges in
one layer, and sprinkle with thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and lots of freshly
ground black pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, or until deeply browned under-
neath. Flip the slices, and season the second side on top with another
1/2 teaspoon salt and more pepper. Scatter the garlic cloves in the pan,
and return the pan to the oven to roast for another 12 to 15 minutes, until
the wedges are browned on the second side. Don't worry if the squash
isn't fully cooked yet. Carefully pour the broth and vinegar into the pan,
and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the squash is tender and the
liquid is somewhat cooked off
To serve the squash: Use the back of a spoon to swirl plain yogurt onto a serving platter into a thin layer. Toss the arugula with the remaining tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, and scatter over the yogurt. Arrange the squash wedges on top, scrape out every bit of pan juice that's left, and pour it over the squash.