Russ Parsons' Roasted Squash Puree with Apple and Ginger

Of all the winter squashes, I'd have to say that acorn squash is my least favorite. I always find it a bit watery, somewhat stringy, not as creamy and toothsome as kabocha, for example, and not so lusciously silky as butternut can be. Too often, I see acorn squashes filled with some hippy-dippy mixture of wild-rice and dried fruit, which seems to me a somewhat tired way of fulfilling the vegetarian main-course option, contributing, perhaps, to my lukewarm feelings on the subject.

But when Russ Parsons tells me to eat acorn squash, I listen. Because it's Russ. Has he ever led me astray? Rarely. If ever. So last week I bought an acorn squash, watched it balefully out of the corner of one eye for a few days, and then got down to business. I halved it and roasted it in a puddle of water for an hour (the only time I've ever roasted anything that way), then pureed it in the food processor with a Granny Smith apple, some chopped ginger, half-and-half (instead of whipping cream) and diced butter (half of what was called for, which was a perfectly buttery amount). What I got was a silky-sweet, rich yet tart pile of whipped squash. It was loose and creamy, more like a thick applesauce than mashed potatoes, with a wonderful tang from the apple and the ginger.

I ate one helping and then another and soon realized that if I had been dining alone, I might have eaten the entire bowl for dinner. Luckily, I had Barbara there to keep me in line. After all, it was because I had a guest for dinner that I'd prepared more than just the pureed acorn squash. We had pork chops soaked in a warm adobado oil bath and then broiled to a crispy-edged and juicy state. The sweet and tart puree alongside the heartily spiced chops was a match made in heaven.

Oh.

So you'd like to know about those pork chops?

(I thought you'd never ask.)

I actually got the recipe from the same Best American Recipes as the glorious apple pancake. The chops recipe came from the Louisville Courier-Journal (and was published on September 12, 2001, which strikes me as ghoulish, but I suppose there must have been food sections published the day after. It's just hard to wrap my head around that.). Anyway.

The chops are soaked in this wonderful red oil (made red by the paprika), fragrant with oregano and cumin and chopped garlic, before you turn on the broiler and slide the marinated chops into the flames. And, speaking of which, now might be the time I confess to you that Saturday was the first time I'd ever actually used my broiler. Yes, I am aware of how humiliating this admission is. After all, haven't I posted recipes before in which meat or fish is broiled? Yes, yes I have.

Here's the deal: I always thought my broiler was at the top of my oven, so when something needed to be broiled, I just put the oven rack at the top-most position, turned the oven to "broil" and waited. Then, of course, I'd have to really wait, because putting food in a very hot oven under absolutely no heating element doesn't exactly cook food at the same speed a broiler does. Yeah. I figured that out this weekend, when I tugged on the handle at the bottom of my oven and realized that there was the broiler spitting flames (and harboring absolutely no lounging mega-cockroaches, which was always my darkest fear about hot, cavernous places in my kitchen) and that there were no flames or coils or heat of any sort at the top of my oven.

But now that this wonderful discovery has been made? I can broil broil broil to my heart's content! And thick, spiced pork chops stuck under hot, licking flames makes for an entirely different dinner than thick, spiced pork chops stuck into a 500-degree oven.

Yeah. Hu-mil-iating, I tell you.

Roasted Squash Puree with Apple and Ginger
Serves 4 to 6

2 pounds winter squash (such as 1 large acorn squash)
1 tart apple (about 1/2 pound)
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup butter, cut in cubes (I used only 1/8 cup)
Salt

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a jellyroll pan (a baking sheet with sides) with aluminum foil. If the squash is whole, cut it in half and scoop out the seeds with a large spoon.

2. Place the squash cut-side-down on the jellyroll pan and add about one-fourth inch of water. Roast 40 minutes, then turn cut-side-up and cook until the squash begins to collapse and is soft enough to be easily pierced with a knife, about 20 more minutes.

3. Remove the squash from the oven and cool briefly, about 5 minutes. Peel, core and chop the apple. When the squash is just cool enough to handle with a kitchen towel, use a spoon to scoop the flesh into a food processor or blender (a food processor will make a fairly dense, sticky purée; the blender will be lighter and smoother).

4. Add the apples and the whipping cream and purée, stopping and scraping down the sides as necessary. Add the ginger and the butter and continue puréeing until you can't see any traces of the butter. Add one-fourth teaspoon salt, pulse a couple of times to mix well, then taste and add more salt as necessary.

5. Scrape the purée into a small saucepan and warm, covered, over medium heat, 2 minutes. The recipe can be prepared 30 minutes in advance and kept warm in a covered pan over very low heat. Serve hot.

Comments

[deb]

It's not just me who avoids dark spots of our kitchens! (Like this vented area by the oven, I have no idea what's behind it. A malfunctioning heater? MONSTERS? I plan to never find out.)

This recipe seems the perfect place for me to launch my interest in making some lovely chops at home. Spicy, not sweet, and that picture is oh so tempting.

[Robin]

Luisa,
I am de-lurking to tell you that I made the EXACT same broiler mistake and just realized the error of my ways last week.

[Jeff]

I'm glad that there were no large cockroaches...that would be pretty freakay!

[Homesick Texan]

Me three! Until a boyfriend showed me what that "drawer thingy" did, I also "broiled" on top.

Your 9-12-2001 observation got me thinking. I just did a Factiva search for the date, and every paper ran their regular food sections, including The New York Times! Wow! You're right, it's hard to imagine.

[Caley Walsh]

Wait, so I can't store my cookie sheets in that "drawer thingy"? Damn my small kitchen, hehe.

I usually make acorn squash with a whole bunch of cinnamon and maple syrup, like this recipe:
http://www.recipe4living.com/content/view/10172/175/

[gemma]

Laughing out loud. I love it when the people who I look up to for all things food/kitchen related turn out to be, at least sometimes, as confused as the rest of us. Thanks for sharing. Oh and look out the window....SNOW IN NEW YORK FINALLY

[Lia]

Too funny about the broiler. Makes me feel a little better about the time I forgot to put salt in my first batch of Nigel Slater's bread.

The puree and the pork chop look amazing, by the way.

[ann]

Yep, I hear ya. It wasn't 'til the FDNY had to stop by for my "gas leak" that I even knew my stove had a pilot light, let alone a broiler.
my face was so luridly purple from embarassment. I hope the hunky fireman thought it was because he was, well, hunky, as my real humiliation was much worse!

[hannah]

What is sadder is that I totally KNOW that is my broiler but am still kind of afraid of it- I avoid using it unless I absolutely have to. (I mean, are you supposed to shut the door while things broil? And then what if they catch fire? And what about all the things that are supposed to be six inches from the heating element- my broiler doesn't seem that tall!)

My foodblogging license is about to get taken away, I know it.

[Tanna]

None of us are born knowing this stuff and most of us are never taught one thing about it. I know I've done something equally as silly, I'm just not going to remember it right now. (claim senior moment)
Wow, can you imagine the snap crackle and pop it there'd just been even one of those critters!
The acorn squash sounds great, looks great too.

[shauna]

Um, dear Luisa, are you talking only about gas stoves? We have an electric, and so this morning, I thought I was doubly silly for not knowing that the bottom was the broiler. The top has always worked....Well, on our electric, the regular stove has a broiler coil on the top of the stove. I'm so confused...

however, I do know that I am making those pork chops tonight. They are marinating right now. The Chef thanks you.

[Noice]

Kudos to you: Your broiler admission has completely validated for me your status as one of the top food bloggers out there. If I read you religiously before, I am now bordering on fetishism. Keep on rockin' on!

[Luisa]

Deb - MONSTERS! Yes, until this weekend I shared the same dark fears. And you know I wouldn't blame you in the bit if you never open look into that vented area, NEVER. The pork chops are good, though.

Robin - oh, thank GOD! Thank you for making me less of a lonely fool ;)

Jeff - yes, yes, indeed. In fact, just thinking about makes me want to throw up a little in my mouth.

Lisa - Yes! This is turning into a broiler confessional. I love it. And you know, I remember reading the food section on the Wednesday a WEEK later (in fact, I clipped a stew recipe from it that I still haven't tried), but I have no recollections of 9/12. Well, regarding food section reading, I mean.

Caley - nothing wrong in using the broiler space as storage, I suppose. As long as it's not newspapers, as one friend of mine used to do (she didn't cook. Obviously).

Gemma - I'm glad my humiliation serves some purpose in this world ;) And yes, SNOW! This morning, too!

Lia - They were tasty tasty tasty. Welcome back, by the way!

Ann - oh no! That's right. Broiler humiliation IN FRONT of the FDNY? My sympathies, my dear.

Hannah - I know, the broiler makes you feel all inadequate and stuff. Me too. But I say throw caution to the wind! You can do it! Master the broiler and you will master your kitchen.

Tanna - YUCK! Broiling cockroaches. Thanks for that image this morning ;)

Shauna - here's the deal: Electric stoves have the broiler coil at the top of the oven. Gas stoves have that little drawer thingy at the bottom with Real Spitting Flames. I hope you and the Chef liked the chops!

Noice - well, thank you thank you thank you!

[Anne]

Ha! I made the oppostie mistake when I moved into a place with an electric oven. I thought the broiler was on the bottom like my previous gas stoves, so I put my fritattas in the bottom drawer and assumed my broiler was busted when the eggs wouldn't cook.

My boss later informed me that the broiler was on the top, and the bottom "broiler" drawer I was using was actually for storage.

I'm making those chops tomorrow!!

[Carolyn T]

I did get a big LOL over the broiler story, but I have to devote some space here to the purpose of the post - the incredible squash. I made the dish last night, and oh-my-gosh, it is SO INCREDIBLE. After dinner, as I was cleaning up the dishes, I found myself in the blender bowl, digging deeper into the recesses for any remnants of squash. You just can't stop eating it. Fortunately we have some leftovers which will be devoured this evening.

As an aside, I totally forgot to add the butter, and it wasn't missed - it was only after dinner that I noticed the little stack of butter next to stove that I'd forgotten about. I don't know that I'd add it next time. It's the silky texture that makes this dish, with or without the butter.

[pam]

I'm going to have to try the butternut squash puree, that's my new favorite vegetable.

And I'm glad I have an electric oven, just this once, because it always gave me the heebie-jeebies to be cooking so close to the floor. (And the cockroaches.)

[pam]

oops, just noticed it's not butternut squash, even after you wrote about it. well, heck, i'm going to try it with butternut squash anyway.

[Luisa]

Anne - I'm glad I wasn't alone. Broilers are scary things! :) Hope you liked the chops.

Carolyn - isn't it so so so so good? Yum. I can't wait for winter again to make this.

Pam - yes, I couldn't agree with you more. Roaches, monster, goblins, dust mites...Enough to keep anyone from using their broiler, I think! Hope you liked the puree.

[nbm]

I have a _gas_ stove with the broiler at the top, and I did just the same thing but in reverse when I moved into this apartment: expected to find it in the drawer below, puzzled over it for a whole party when the hors d'oeuvres simply weren't browning (actually it hardly even gets hot in there), never noticing that that's because there are no FLAMES.