Sichuan-Style Braised Squash

Ingredients

• 1200 g butternut squash (or pumpkin)
• 3 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp doubanjiang (Sichuan fermented fava bean and chili paste)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 25 g fresh ginger
• 1 bunch scallion (green onion)
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 3 pieces whole dried chilies
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp cane sugar
• 300 ml hot water or light chicken broth
• to taste fine salt

Method

1. Peel the squash, remove the seeds and strings, then cut it into even 3 cm cubes; keep them uniform in size for even cooking.
2. Peel and mince the garlic, peel and finely slice the ginger; cut the scallions into batons, separating the whites from the greens (the greens will be used for plating).
3. Coarsely chop the doubanjiang on the cutting board: this helps it release its red oil during cooking.
4. Heat the oil in a wok or sauté pan over medium heat, toss in the Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies, and stir-fry for a few seconds until fragrant, without burning them.
5. Add the doubanjiang and fry it, stirring constantly, until the oil takes on a beautiful brick-red color: this is the key step of the dish.
6. Add the ginger, garlic, and scallion whites, stir-fry briefly until fragrant, then add the squash cubes and coat them thoroughly in the red base.
7. Deglaze with the Shaoxing wine, add the soy sauce and sugar, then pour in enough hot water to just reach the level of the cubes without drowning them.
8. Cover and simmer over low heat until the squash is tender in the center (the tip of a knife should slide in without resistance), gently turning once or twice so as not to break the cubes.
9. Remove the lid and reduce over high heat until you have a glossy, clinging sauce that coats each cube; taste and salt only if necessary, as the doubanjiang is already salty.
10. Serve in a deep dish, drizzle with the remaining red sauce, and sprinkle with the chopped scallion greens.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

257.9 kcal

Protein

4.66 g

Carbohydrate

30.22 g

Fat

12.4 g

Fibre

7.38 g

Calcium

3.92 mg

Iron

0.24 mg

Magnesium

9.77 mg