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Squash: adding flavor, removing extra water


rotuts

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Im relatively new to squash, as it always seemed to me to be a bit more hassle than say sweet potatoes.

Ive added split Acorn to the gill when doing chicken etc when i remembered but thats about it.

I now have done some butternut and acorn in the microwave, and the Breville TO which is my daily preferred method.

If I do a couple of chickens on the grill: no problem there. Soooooooo .....

1 ) what added flavors do you enjoy adding to squash? Butter is obvious, as is a hint of freshly grated nutmeg.

2) If you use the microwave for cooking to the point of scooping out the flesh, the squash is on the wet side.

Ive thought of placing the 'mash' in a layer in the Breville to bake for a pit to remove some of the water, but that's it.

My large oven is on the fritzz and won't be repaired any time soon.

obviously filling the Webber with split squash and doing 350 until done helps with the water evaporation quite a bit.

looking to do smaller batches via the microwave

many thanks.

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Brief pre-note: you can do all of what I'm about to suggest in the Breville. If you're trying to eliminate wateriness, the nuker is not the way to go. However, in even a small oven you can reduce wateriness by just stabbing the squash halves/quarters all over with a long-tined fork. This allows moisture to evaporate out of the squash more quickly and gets you a nice, firm flesh without too much mushiness. This method might work in the microwave as well, but I've always preferred to long-cook squashes because it contributes to better flavour.

1) Butter with brown sugar and star anise, especially with Acorn squashes. Maple syrup and cinnamon, with Hubbards and Butternuts. I also really like stuffing gold squashes with minced up meats and cheese, and curried fillings work well too.

2) See above. The microwave might make the process faster, but texturally it's not your friend.

Elizabeth Campbell, baking 10,000 feet up at 1° South latitude.

My eG Food Blog (2011)My eG Foodblog (2012)

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Delicata squash is nice because you don't have to peel it. Cut in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, then cut crosswise 1/2" thick slices. Roast at 400-425 degrees on a parchment-lined shallow pan, turn after 20 minutes, cook another 20 minutes. I cooked mine simply with S+P and a little olive oil and some yellow onion cut just a bit thicker than the squash so it wouldn't burn. More time consuming than the microwave, but I do like that roasted flavor. Maybe you could micro the slices then just brown in the Breville to get a similar result with reduced time?

Another flavor that works well in the more savory spectrum is miso with squash.

"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" - Oscar Wilde

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I like grilling squash on my Weber too. If you are going to choose between a microwave and a toaster oven,definitely go with the toaster oven. I just don't think the microwave with give you as good a result as using the TO.

As far as flavorings a lot of the time I'll just add some olive oil and cracked black pepper when roasting, then add butter just before I eat it. I also really like adding maple syrup or brown sugar and butter when roasting them.

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I really enjoyed a butternut squash I made recently -- it was peeled, cubed and hit with a little thyme, butter, s&p and black truffle oil (maybe a TB), then sous vide at 78C for about 1.25 hours. It was amazingly squashy (in a good way), super rich and just the slightest bit of truffle at the end. Very delicious and criminally easy. It was literally serve out of the bag as well.

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Bacon and brown sugar for acorns halves.

I've broiled rings of acorn and then filled the centers with mashed yams flavored with a little sugar, liquid smoke and chipotle powder. Nice so long as one shows restraint with the chipotle.

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All of the squash under discussion here appears to be winter squash. I'm looking for recipes for SUMMER squash like zucchini and crookneck or pattypan that need moisture cooked off, but not boiled. Can anyone help?

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All of the squash under discussion here appears to be winter squash. I'm looking for recipes for SUMMER squash like zucchini and crookneck or pattypan that need moisture cooked off, but not boiled. Can anyone help?

Have you tried a preliminary microwaving with something beneath it, so it doesn't sit in the liquid it gives off?

I do that for all sorts of vegetables before roasting them, and it not only does nice things to the consistency, but it reduces the time in the oven, and you can focus on browning the vegetables, rather than fiddling with the temperature to try ensure doneness and browning without burning/dehydrating completely.

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Michaela, aka "Mjx"
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All of the squash under discussion here appears to be winter squash. I'm looking for recipes for SUMMER squash like zucchini and crookneck or pattypan that need moisture cooked off, but not boiled. Can anyone help?

Try salting. Dice or slice into whatever size you like, then sprinkle with salt, either in a bowl, or you can put the squash in a kitchen towel or plastic bag and shake it around, then let sit for 20 minutes or so in the refrigerator, then drain through a chinois. You can also add a touch of curry powder with the salt, which adds a nice flavor to zucchini.

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All of the squash under discussion here appears to be winter squash. I'm looking for recipes for SUMMER squash like zucchini and crookneck or pattypan that need moisture cooked off, but not boiled. Can anyone help?

Here is the link to our Cook-Off on Summer Squashes mentioned earlier http://forums.egullet.org/topic/145452-cook-off-63-summer-squash/

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re: low-hassle winter squash

If you're lucky, you may find crookneck squash (sometimes called neck pumpkin) at a farmer's market.

They're like a butternut squash on steroids.

They're usually relatively low in moisture and easy to prepare because they have the long neck (sometimes very long) that's seedless.

~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

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All of the squash under discussion here appears to be winter squash. I'm looking for recipes for SUMMER squash like zucchini and crookneck or pattypan that need moisture cooked off, but not boiled. Can anyone help?

I like to take smaller zucchini (so they aren't as seedy) and shred them in the Cuisinart, sauté in a little olive oil with garlic/S/P. With high heat, the moisture cooks out. Or I make "chips" and bake them on a non-stick pan or parchment until they brown.

"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" - Oscar Wilde

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