International takes on SQUASH from Will Bowlby

FEELING GOURD

Will Bowlby, head chef and co-founder of London restaurant Kricket, shares his favourite ways to cook with squash

There’s something comforting about squash. It’s a warming ingredient that’s perfect for autumn, and its natural sweetness makes a welcome addition to mains as well as desserts. When I first moved to India, squashes were a familiar sight in markets full of foreign produce. They’ve been appearing on my menus ever since. One of the very first Kricket specials was grilled delica pumpkin with makhani sauce – rich in tomato, cream, butter and dried fenugreek – and fresh paneer cheese, spiced hazelnut crumble and crispy, puffed wild rice. It makes a great vegetarian alternative to butter chicken, and it remains our signature dish. At home, I’ll often poach squash with cream and butter for a silky-smooth purée. From there, the possibilities are endless – serve it underneath a scallop, stuffed in pasta or with sage and hazelnuts as a condiment for meat dishes. Both squashes and pumpkins absorb spices really well, so don’t be afraid to experiment by adding aromatic spices like cumin, star anise, cloves or peppercorns to soups, although cloves can be quite overpowering, so do be careful. I also like to dice squash and cook it briefly with chilli powder, turmeric, onion and mustard seeds, curry leaves, jaggery and vinegar for a typically Indian sweet and sour chutney. There are plenty of things you can make with scraps, too: roasted seeds make a great snack, the pulp can be roasted down and puréed, and the peel can be infused in chilli vinegar. For dessert, try American-style pumpkin pie, or churn it with cinnamon for an autumnal ice cream.