This is yet another well-loved recipe from Alison Roman's DINING IN. This one is a personal favorite, but I'm admittedly not the biggest fan of coconut normally -- I kind of hate it, honestly. BUT the way the flavors in this dish meld and combine is something truly...DIVINE!
Squash Ingredients:
2 medium winter squash, such as delicata or acorn
3 tbsp. coconut oil, melted, or olive oil
1 tbsp. honey
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Gremolata Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut chips
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, tender leaves and stems, finely chopped
1 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 tsp. Aleppo pepper or 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
kosher salt
TO MAKE THE SQUASH:
FIRST: Leaving the skin on, slice the squash into ½-inch-thick rings. (I roast my squash with the seeds still inside because they get all crispy and I love the texture they bring to the table, but you can remove them if you like. The best way to do that is to cut the squash in half crosswise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then slice them into rings.)
THEN: Toss the squash with the coconut oil and honey on a rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast, flipping the squash once, until it is completely tender, browned, and caramelized, 25 to 30 minutes.
TO MAKE THE GREMOLATA:
FIRST: While the squash is roasting, heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the coconut. Shake the skillet occasionally until the coconut is starting to brown at the edges and smells all toasty and amazing, 3 to 4 minutes. Place it in a medium bowl to cool completely.
THEN: Once the coconut has cooled, add the chives, cilantro, lemon zest, and Aleppo pepper, and season with salt. Using your fingers, mix this together until the oils in the lemon zest have released and everything is evenly distributed (especially the lemon zest, which can stubbornly clump up).
FINALLY: Sprinkle the coconut gremolata over the roasted squash and serve.
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