KABOCHA SAMGYETANG

Serves 4

Danny Bowein’s first experienced a soupless version of samgyetang in Seoul, made by a guy with a rotisserie-like contraption attached to a bicycle. Then he tried a deep-fried version. So he brought his favorite part — the stuffing — to kabocha squash, as seen in this recipe adapted from his book, “Mission Vegan.” For the ginseng, look for vials of Korean red ginseng extract sold in Korean markets.

2 cups short-grain sweet (glutinous) rice

1½ ounces dried shiitake (about 5 large), soaked and trimmed

Two 4-pound kabocha, halved and seeded

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 cup unsalted roasted cashews 1 cup chopped (½-inch) pitted dates

1 tablespoon ginseng tea extract or minced ginseng

½ tablespoon mushroom seasoning powder, such as Imperial Taste or Po Lo Ku

½ tablespoon black pepper

1 cup Cashew Cream (see below)

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the rice and enough water to cover by an inch or so and soak for 2 hours. Drain the rice, rinse it well under water and drain well. Meanwhile, quarter the mushroom caps.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rub the kabocha halves inside and out with the oil, then season all over with the salt. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the rice, mushrooms, cashews, dates, ginseng extract, mushroom powder and pepper and stir well.

Stuff the rice mixture into each kabocha half, packing it in firmly. Cut four pieces of parchment paper that are an inch or two bigger than the cut sides of the kabocha. One half at a time, cover the cut sides with a piece of parchment paper and carefully invert the squash onto a sheet pan so the parchment paper keeps the rice in place. Roast until the flesh is tender and the rice is cooked through, about 45 minutes.

Slide a spatula under the stuffing to flip the squash over without letting the filling fall out. Serve with the cashew cream.

CASHEW CREAM 1½ cups raw cashews 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine the cashews with 3 cups water in a tall, narrow container (it’s fine if they float) and let them soak in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight.

After they’ve soaked, drain the cashews and put them in the blender with the salt and 1 cup fresh water. Blend on high speed until very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

You’ll have about 2 cups. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Courtesy Henry Hargreaves Kabocha Samgyetang from Danny Bowien’s new cookbook, “Mission Vegan,” re-imagines the Korean dish in kabocha.