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Glazed hasselback butternut squash

A bit of a pain in the neck, but very pretty, and impressive enough for a main dish if you're hosting a vegetarian. You can cook it early in the day and keep it at room temperature, and reheat when you're ready to serve it.

Ingredients

  • 1 large butternut squash
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • kosher salt, pepper
  • 1 fresno chili or a few jalapeños, seeded and sliced in thin rings
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 8 bay leaves, dry or fresh

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425.

  2. Prepare the squash. To make it easier to cut and peel, pierce all over with a fork and then microwave for three minutes. Let it cool a bit and the cut it in half lengthwise, peel it with a paring knife or vegetable peeler and scoop the seeds out.

  3. Rub the squash all over with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast it in a baking dish until it's slightly soft, about 15 minutes.

  4. While it is cooking, make the glaze: simmer the maple syrup, butter, vinegar, and chili or jalapeno in a small pot until it's slightly thickened, about ten minutes. Turn the heat down and keep it warm.

  5. ove the squash to a cutting board, flip it over (scooped side down) and let it cool a bit. Score it side to side, cutting as deep as you can without breaking through. Carefully put it back into the baking dish and tuck bay leaves into the cuts, and season with salt and pepper.

  6. Cook it again, basting with the glaze very ten minutes until it has a dark, shiny coat, about an hour.

  7. Top with the peppers from the glaze and serve hot.