Ingredients
| ¼ cup split red lentils | |
| 1 teaspoon garlic powder | |
| 1 teaspoon onion powder | |
| 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce/kecap manis | |
| 1 tablespoon maple syrup | |
| 1 tablespoon tomato paste | |
| 2 tablespoons miso paste | |
| 30g butter | |
| 1 tablespoon olive oil | |
| 1 onion, finely chopped | |
| 10g sage leaves, finely chopped | |
| 200g fresh breadcrumbs | |
| 100g parmesan, grated | |
| 2 large eggs, beaten | |
| 1 large butternut squash | |
| butter bean mash, watercress or rocket, to serve |
Roasting stuffed butternut halves face down feels like a classic roast when you slice it. You can serve with a butter bean mash for extra protein.
I have taken to keeping a jar of toasted and ground red lentils in my pantry, as they are so useful to thicken gravy, soups, sauces and stews, without the need to make a flour roux. I make a big quantity and keep it in a jar as it lasts for months.
View the recipe collection here
Instructions
| 1. | Put the lentils in a frying pan over a medium heat and toast for 5 minutes. |
| 2. | Transfer to a high-speed blender or spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. |
| 3. | Store in an airtight container. |
| 4. | Put the garlic powder and onion powder in a saucepan with 500ml water, bring to the boil and whisk to dissolve. |
| 5. | Whisk in the sweet soy sauce. |
| 6. | For the glaze, transfer 125ml (½ cup) of this to a small bowl, stir in the maple syrup and tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper. |
| 7. | Set aside. |
| 8. | For the miso gravy, whisk 2 tablespoons of the lentil powder into the remaining liquid in the saucepan and heat until thick, adding a little more if needed. |
| 9. | Finally, whisk in the miso paste. |
| 10. | Reheat gently to serve. |
| 11. | Heat the oven to 200°C. |
| 12. | To make the stuffing, heat the butter and oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the onion with a sprinkle of salt for 5 minutes. |
| 13. | Add the sage and cook for a further couple of minutes. |
| 14. | Transfer to a bowl with the breadcrumbs, parmesan and eggs. |
| 15. | Cut the butternut in half lengthwise and peel. |
| 16. | Scrape out and discard the seeds then, using a small knife, cut out an even cavity leaving a centimetre of pumpkin around the edge. |
| 17. | Grate the pumpkin that you have cut out, add it to the stuffing and mix really well. |
| 18. | Press the stuffing into the cavity of the butternut and roll any remaining stuffing into balls (about the size of a golf ball) and place them on a small baking tray. |
| 19. | Place the butternut halves cut-side down in a roasting dish that holds them relatively snugly. |
| 20. | Pour over the maple glaze, add 2 tablespoons of water to the dish, cover and bake for 30 minutes. |
| 21. | Uncover, brush the butternut again with any glaze from the bottom of the roasting dish and return to the oven, uncovered, along with the stuffing balls for 20 minutes or until tender, turning the stuffing balls and brushing the pumpkin again halfway. |
| 22. | Serve the sliced butternut with stuffing balls and gravy to pour over. |
Recipes & food styling Fiona Smith
Photography Aaron McLean
Styling Fiona Smith & Aaron McLean