Stuffed Acorn Squash with Apples, Leeks, Mushrooms, and Walnuts ~ Big Sur Bakery

Stuffed Acorn Squash With Apples,
Leeks, Mushrooms, and Walnuts

Big Sur Bakery

Ingredients:

For the Stuffed Acorn:

1/3 cup walnut halves

2 small acorn squash 

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 medium apple, peeled, cubed,

   and cored

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 cups white button mushrooms, 

   quartered

2 tablespoons dry white wine

1 cup stewed leeks*

1 tablespoon minced flat leaf 

   parsley

1 tablespoon minced chives

1 whole scallion, trimmed and 

   thinly sliced

1 small shallot, minced

*

For the Sage Brown Butter:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 fresh sage leaves, minced 

*

Directions:

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350^F.

*

Scatter the walnuts on a cookie sheet and toast them in the oven until they are golden through the center, about 10 to 12 minutes.  (To check if they are done, cut one open and inspect the color inside.)  Set the walnuts aside.  (Leave the oven on.)

*

Cut each squash in half through its equator and trim off enough of the top and root ends so that the squash halves can sit flat.  Scoop out and discard the seeds.  Place the halves on a baking sheet, cavity side up.  Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter, and brush it over the flesh of the squash halves.  Combine the brown sugar and the cinnamon in a bowl, and sprinkle the mixture over the squash.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bake until the squash are soft, about 45 minutes.

*

While the squash are baking, heat a sauté pan over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the butter.  Add the apples, season the lightly with salt and pepper and sauté until they are soft but still hold their shape, about 5 minutes.  Set the apples aside.

*

Saute the mushrooms next:  Heat  large sauté pan over high heat, drizzle the oil into it, and add 1 tablespoon of the butter.  Let the butter melt.  Then add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until they are soft, about 5 minutes.  Deglaze the 

sauté pan with the white wine, scraping any brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.  Set the sauté pan aside.

*

Prepare the filing by combining the walnuts, apples, mushrooms, leeks, parsley, chives, scallions, and shallots in a medium bowl.  Season the filling with salt and pepper to taste.

*

Remove the squash from the oven, and raise the oven temperature to 400^F.

*

Stuff each squash half with a heaping 1/2 cup of the filling, and roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the filling is warmed through.  Transfer the squash to a platter.

While the squash is roasting, make the sage brown butter.  Melt the butter over medium-high heat, cook until the butter separates and the white solids start to brown and smell nutty, about 7 minutes.  Add the minced sage and drizzle the warm brown butter over the stuffed squash.  Serve immediately.

*

Stewed Leeks:

Ingredients:

3 medium leeks

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup chicken stock

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

*

Directions:

Cut off the dark green ends of the leeks, leaving behind the white bulb and the beginning of the green stem.  Slice the leeks into 1/4 inch-thick coins.  Thoroughly wash the leeks in a bowl of cold water, separating the rings to get out any residual dirt.  Drain off the water and wash them again-no one likes dirty leeks.

*

Once they are clean, place the leeks in a saucepan and add the butter and stock.  Season them lightly with salt and pepper and cook over medium-low heat until they are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.  Check the seasonings, and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

***