CARAMELISED BUTTERNUT SQUASH CAR PACC IO WITH HERB SALSA

Serves 6 INGREDIENTS

1 butternut squash For the marinade: 2 tbsp butter 1 tbsp olive oil Generous squeeze of honey 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp grated nutmeg ½ tsp cayenne pepper Few sprigs of thyme Salt and pepper For the herb salsa: 30g parsley 30g basil 1 clove garlic 5 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp white wine vinegar Juice of 1 lime 5 spring onions To serve: 60g pumpkin seeds 1 tbsp crème fraîche or sour cream 1 large red chilli, deseeded and sliced

METHOD

1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas Mark 7 and line a baking tray or trays with baking paper.

2 First make the marinade. In a small pan, heat the butter and olive oil, add the honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne and thyme. The moment it begins to bubble remove from the heat and season well.

3 Give the squash a good clean – you don’t need to peel it for this recipe (always a relief!) but you do need to chop it up. We find it easiest to cut it about halfway down, at the end of the round bit. Slice both pieces in half and scoop out the seeds from the rounded parts. Then take the pieces and slice them finely on a mandoline; if you don’t have one you can achieve this with a sharp knife, by slicing as thinly as possible. Put these pieces into a large bowl, pour the marinade over and massage through with your hands. Season with salt and pepper and leave for at least 10-15 minutes. 4 Make the herb salsa by blitzing all of the salsa ingredients together in the food processor. Taste and adjust the seasoning according to your preference. 5 Place the squash on the prepared baking tray (or trays) in a single layer. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes. To make it extra crisp on top, it’s nice to place it under a hot grill for a few minutes at the end. When the squash is out of the oven, place the pumpkin seeds on a tray and roast in the oven for no more then 5 minutes. 6 To serve, scatter the squash over a serving platter, drizzle over the green herb salsa prettily, blob with the crème fraîche or sour cream and finish by sprinkling over the toasted pumpkin seeds and red chilli. You can make this in advance and serve at room temperature – just assemble when you are ready to eat.