Melissa Hemsley’s Hasselback Squash with Roasted Grapes and a Sprout and Blue Cheese Slaw
Give squash the hasselback treatment with this festive recipe from Melissa Hemsley. Perfect as a meat-free Christmas centrepiece, just use vegetarian cheese for a fully vegetarian recipe.
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Introduction
Hasselback potatoes have enjoyed a lot of attention in recent years and now it’s the turn of the squash! This dish smells incredible and is perfect for a Sunday roast or to celebrate Christmas. The roast grapes are divine and the slaw feels really festive.
Ingredients
| For the hasselback squash: | |
| 1 | large squash (about 1.5kg), save the seeds |
| 2 tbsp | ghee or oil |
| 8 | garlic cloves, unpeeled |
| 1 big bunch of | grapes (black or red look best), the bunch split in half |
| 8 | bay leaves, fresh if you can get them |
| 4 | fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs |
| 1 | orange, sliced into 6 rounds |
| 2 tbsp | maple syrup |
| sea salt and black pepper | |
| For the sprout and blue cheese slaw: | |
| 500g | fresh small Brussels sprouts, finely shredded |
| 1 big handful of | walnuts, pecans or almonds |
| 1 | large crunchy apple, chopped or in matchsticks |
| 1 big handful of | dried fruit, such as raisins or cranberries |
| 1 handful of | blue cheese, Cheddar, pecorino or crumbled feta |
| 1 | small red onion, thinly sliced |
| For the dressing: | |
| 9 tbsp | extra virgin olive oil |
| 5 tbsp | apple cider vinegar |
| 2 tsp | Dijon mustard |
| 2 tsp | raw honey or maple syrup |
Method
Preheat the oven to fan 220°C/Gas mark 9 and carefully slice the squash in half lengthways. Be sure to use a sharp knife. Scoop out the seeds, wash and dry them.
Roast the two halves in a large roasting tray, cut-side down, for 30 minutes.
Remove the tray from the oven and put each squash half onto a chopping board. Slice across the halves, every 0.5cm, making sure not to cut all the way through to the board, before putting back in the roasting tray. Rub ghee and a good amount of salt and pepper into the squash, scatter around the garlic and roast for another 15 minutes.
Add the grapes, herbs, orange slices and squash seeds to the tray and spoon over the maple syrup. Turn up the heat to 240°C for a final 5–10 minutes until the edges look golden and crisp.
While the squash is cooking, prepare the sprout slaw. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a mixing bowl and season to taste.
Use a food processor or knife to finely chop the sprouts, then transfer to the bowl with the dressing and toss with the other ingredients.
Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins, mash with a fork and serve alongside the squash and the slaw.
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