I used to follow the same routine for delicata squash that I followed for most winter squash: cut one in half, scrape out the seeds, roast it, then scoop the flesh from the skin and eat it. This technique was a little cumbersome, but because I love the sweet flavor of this winter squash, I went along for years thinking it was fine.
Then I learned a trick from the clever people at Tastebud Farm: Cut the squash lengthwise into quarters, scrape out the seeds, then slice the squash into bite-sized, moon-shaped pieces, about 1/3 inch thick each.
You can roast these in a 425-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once (my favorite), or sauté them like zucchini.
When it’s well cooked, the delicata skin is easy to eat — and tasty too.
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1. by caleb on Oct 13, 2008 at 12:46 PM PDT
I think I’ll have to do this again soon, but I love to peel them, chop off the rounded ends, string/seed them, and turn the long part into strips.
The strips go into tempura and then into sushi. No roasting required!
2. by Kim on Oct 13, 2008 at 4:09 PM PDT
Mmmm, tempura. But I’m confused: The squash that goes into sushi — is it uncooked?
3. by caleb on Oct 15, 2008 at 2:49 AM PDT
The strips ended up being a little less than 1/2 inch square, and this was a pretty good size for deep frying.
I am not so good at deep frying, but I try to keep the temperature just below the point where the oil is bubbling, splashing and burning me, and I take it out when the batter is just about to brown.
4. by caleb bo baleb on Oct 18, 2008 at 9:11 PM PDT
We did this tonight, and the frying took some time - about 10-15 minutes per batch. As if sushi doesn’t take forever already.
Caroline suggested we cut them smaller next time.
We rolled them with tuna, scallions and toasted sesame seeds. The tuna and fried squash both have a sweet/savory thing going on and were a nice compliment. Scallions add spice and crunch.
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