Scalloped Squash Recipes

SCALLOPED SQUASH

Steps:

• Cook sliced squash until tender, drain.
• Meanwhile, gradually stir milk into soup, blend in egg and drained squash, onion, and stuffing. Toss lightly to mix.
• Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish that has been buttered.
• Cheese topping: Crush the butter crackers, toss lightly with the 2 tablespoons butter.
• Sprinkle this over the squash. Top with the grated cheese.
• Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.

PAN-FRIED SCALLOPS WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH TWO WAYS

Steps:

• To make the purée, heat the butter in a small saucepan and add the squash. Sweat it over a very low heat for 5 mins, then pour over the stock. Cover and gently simmer for 10-12 mins until the squash is very soft.
• Take off the heat and add the parmesan. Use a hand blender or food processor to blitz the squash until smooth, then press through a sieve into another saucepan. Season to taste and set aside.
• To make the warm salad, trim the squash into a neat block, then neatly dice the flesh into cubes no larger than 1cm. Heat half the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Fry the squash for 10 mins, or until tender and coloured, then tip onto a plate.
• Place the pan back on the heat and gently fry the bacon for 10 mins, or until crisp and brown. Add the onion and cook for 2 mins to soften in the fat, then add the capers and squash, drizzle over the sherry vinegar and toss together for 1 min. Off the heat, stir in the chives and the rest of the oil, then tip everything into a bowl and keep warm.
• Have the scallops to hand as you will need to work fast when cooking them. Clean out the frying pan and place it back on the heat with a drizzle more oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, carefully lay the scallops in the pan one at a time, like points on a clock face, starting at 6 o'clock, so you remember which one went in first.
• Scallops take very little time to cook, so by the time the last one is in the pan, the first will be brown and ready to turn over. Flip all the scallops over and give them about 1 min more, then lift onto kitchen paper on a plate to drain the oil. With the salad and the purée still warm, you are now ready to plate up.
• Spoon half the warm salad down the middle of each plate. Overlap 6 pieces of scallop along the salad. Use a spoon to swipe the purée around the outside of the food. Drizzle everything with a touch more oil, and you are now ready to serve.

SCALLOPED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 13- by 9-inch glass baking dish (3-quart capacity).
• Stir together salt and pepper in a small bowl. Cut off necks of squash, reserving bottoms for another use (you will have about 3 pounds necks). Peel squash and very thinly slice crosswise with slicer.
• Layer one third of squash slices, overlapping, in baking dish and sprinkle with some of salt and pepper mixture. Sprinkle with half of cheese, then layer half of remaining squash slices on top and sprinkle with some of salt and pepper mixture. Top with remaining cheese and remaining squash slices, then sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.
• Bring cream and thyme sprigs to a simmer in a small saucepan over moderate heat. Discard thyme and pour cream evenly over squash. Put a sheet of parchment paper on surface of squash and poke a few holes in parchment with a knife. Bake squash until tender, about 45 minutes.
• Discard parchment and let squash stand 10 minutes before serving. If desired, cut rounds from squash with cookie cutter and transfer to plates with a spatula.
• *Available at Asian markets, cookware shops, and Uwajimaya (800-889-1928).

SAUTEED PATTY PAN SQUASH

Steps:

• Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until foaming, 1 to 2 minutes. Saute onion in the olive oil-butter until tender and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add squash and garlic; season with lemon pepper. Saute mixture until squash is easily pierced with a fork, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Mix spinach, parsley, and basil into squash mixture; saute until spinach wilts, about 1 minute. Squeeze lemon juice over mixture and sprinkle in Parmesan cheese; stir well. Season mixture with salt and black pepper.