Barbecued hasselback butternut squash with sage salsa verde

Name: Barbecued hasselback butternut squash with sage salsa verde
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 1 butternut squash; 6 bay leaves; 1 sprig of sage, leaves picked; 60g of unsalted butter, softened; 1 sprig of rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped; 1 tsp pink peppercorns; salt; 2 tbsp of capers; 3 anchovies, (optional); 1 garlic clove; 1/2 lemon, juiced; 20g of parsley leaves; 10g of sage leaves; 120ml of olive oil; salt; pepper

by GBC Kitchen

Item 1 of 1

Main
easy
4
1 hour 15 minutes

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

5.00

This simple butternut squash recipe makes the most of the smoky flavours of the barbecue . By cooking it hasselback-style, the flavoured butter seeps into the cracks, infusing the squash with buckets of flavour. The zingy sage salsa verde on top finishes things off perfectly, making this an incredible vegetarian dish for any occasion.

First published in 2019

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This hasselback butternut squash is a great thing to serve at a barbecue (whether you have vegetarians in attendance or not) and makes a stunning centrepiece. We chose the classic flavour pairing of butternut and sage, but feel free to experiment with dressings; wild garlic is great if it's in season, or a summery basil pesto also works well. Slice up and serve warm with salads, or even sandwiched in a burger bun. If you're not looking to keep it vegetarian then a few anchovies in the salsa verde are a great addition.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

1 butternut squash
6 bay leaves
1 sprig of sage, leaves picked

Rosemary and pink peppercorn butter

60g of unsalted butter, softened
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
1 tsp pink peppercorns
salt

Sage salsa verde

2 tbsp of capers
3 anchovies, (optional)
1 garlic clove
1/2 lemon, juiced
20g of parsley leaves
10g of sage leaves
120ml of olive oil
salt
pepper

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Method

Set up the barbecue for indirect cooking and bring up the temperature to around 200°C

Wash the butternut squash well, as the skin is kept on for this recipe. Slice in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds

Place two wooden spoons on each side of the squash halves – this is a trick to stop you accidentally cutting all the way through, helping to achieve a nice even hasselback. Slice into the squash halves until you hit the spoons, leaving a 1cm gap between each cut

Make the butter by mixing all the ingredients together. Spread around half of it over both sides of the squash

Slot the bay leaves into the cracks at intervals down the squash, then place on the barbecue cut-side down and cook for 30 minutes with the lid closed. The butter will melt and drip creating smoke, which adds to the flavour

After 30 minutes, add and little more butter (making sure you keep some for the sage leaves) and flip the butternut over to get some colour on the skin. The squash will have softened so be careful not to break them when flipping. Cook for another 10 minutes

In the meantime, make the sage salsa verde by blending the ingredients together. Taste and season with salt and more lemon juice if needed. Be careful with the amount of salt if you are using anchovies, and remember to leave them out altogether to keep the dish vegetarian

Melt the remaining rosemary and pink peppercorn butter in a pan with the sage leaves until they crisp up

When the squash is ready, pour over the browned sage butter and drizzle with the salsa verde. Discard the bay leaves and garnish with the crispy sage

First published in 2019

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GBC Kitchen is where you'll find accessible, inspiring recipes with a twist, from our in-house team of recipe developers. Perfect for mid-week meals or special occasions alike, GBC Kitchen recipes will help you become a more confident cook, and impress those around you in the meantime!

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