It’s squash season, and red kuri squash is a playful one—slightly sweet and less bland than pumpkin. in this recipe, I give it an Italian twist with guanciale, amaretto, and Piedmont hazelnuts.
For 2 people:
- 2 red kuri squashes
- 4 eggs
- 50 g guanciale
- 200 g chanterelle mushrooms
- 1 handful of Piedmont hazelnuts
- 10 cl amaretto
There are two schools of thought for the eggs: you can poach them or sous-vide them. For sous-vide, plan for an hour ahead of serving.
The trickiest step is cutting the tops off the squashes and hollowing them out with a melon baller. Remove the flesh without breaking the outer shells, as these will serve as bowls for plating. Bake the hollowed-out shells in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 15 minutes while you prepare the rest.
Take the scooped-out squash flesh and dice it roughly. Sauté the cubes in a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring or tossing frequently.
Meanwhile, thinly slice the guanciale and cook it over medium heat until it begins to brown and release its fat. Once this happens, add the chanterelle mushrooms.
The chanterelles will naturally emulsify their juices with the guanciale fat as they cook—this is exactly what you want. Let the mixture reduce.
If you’re poaching your eggs, now is the time to do it.
Deglaze the squash with the amaretto midway through cooking, then reduce the heat and let it simmer until the other components are ready.
To plate, follow this order:
In a bowl, first place the squash shells. Fill them with the sautéed squash, then the chanterelle-guanciale mixture, followed by the eggs, and finally the hazelnuts.
Optionally, lightly toast the hazelnuts to enhance their crunchiness.
